The Conscience Blessed to Kill
by Faith-chan
Summary: Wherein Sheppard, McKay, and Zelenka get whumped. Zelenka gets to save the day, though... Sorta.... Some spoilers for season 2. As ever, no Ship but Friendship. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

AN: Oh gods, here I go again. This story is insisting on being slow in coming, so it will probably be a few days between updates. Input (esp in later chapters) will be greatly appreciated, as this story has become quite stubborn. Any comments can spark ideas in my warped lil brain, so please let me know what you think and any theories you might have!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of SGA, don't sue me, I'm just having fun at the expense of the poor characters.

Spoilers: Set sometime after "The Long Goodbye" and before "Michael," with some minor spoilers for TLG

The Conscience Blessed to Kill

"How's it goin, gentlemen?" Lt. Colonel John Sheppard asked cheerily as he bound up to two men huddled over a huge blinking piece of equipment. The smaller man looked up in surprise at the colonel's approach, pushing his glasses up his nose. He opened his mouth to respond, but the taller man cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"It would be going better if we didn't keep getting interrupted every five minutes!" Dr. Rodney McKay snapped, glaring up at Colonel Sheppard, who only threw him a smirk in return. Dr. Radek Zelenka simply rubbed his temple and sighed, used to being interrupted by McKay.

"We haven't been able to make any progress from where were were yesterday," Zelenka clarified. Sheppard nodded slowly, processing the information. He glanced around the clearing McKay and Zelenka were working in. Several large, oblong objects lay around the clearing, some up on end, reminding John vaguely of Stonehenge. Two other science teams were also busy buzzing around the strange apparatus trying to tease out their secrets. While they had managed to bring some of the behemoths to life in terms of happy blinking lights and humming noises, they were still stymied as to what they did or how they did it.

"Well, if you geniuses would like another task to tackle, we've picked up some energy readings deeper into the woods," Sheppard said. "Your man Klein took Teyla and Ronon, and they tried to pinpoint the source, but no luck." McKay snorted and rolled his eyes, but thankfully, kept any rude comments to himself for once. Sheppard ignored him. "So what do you say? Care to go on a treasure hunt?" Zelenka fidgeted, pushing his glasses up again, though they hadn't fallen at all.

"Well, we are somewhat busy here..." the Czech said, indicating the blinking machine.

"Yea, but if you're stuck, it might help if you _stopped_ thinking about it for a bit," Sheppard pointed out. He was clearly eager to go and stretch his legs a bit after essentially doing little more than standing around the clearing for days. "Some time away might give you some better perspective, come back at it fresh. Come on, McKay, mystery energy readings are your favorites!" The Canadian pondered the question a moment. Looking at the recalcitrant machine in front of him, he made up his mind.

"We're getting nowhere with this thing," McKay said, a smirk starting to spread across his face. He really did love searching out anomalous energy readings, regardless of the number of times it had landed him in trouble. Come to think of it, he wasn't sure if it was good that Sheppard was actually _encouraging_ him to go after strange energy readings... but now was not the time to worry about it! "Come on, Radek! Thompsen and the others can hold down the fort while we go on the colonel's snipe hunt." Zelenka's protests were cut off as Rodney tossed a bag of gear at him. Muttering czech obscenities under his breath, he shouldered the pack as McKay began fiddling with the sensor to try and search out the mysterious energy reading.

"Dr. Weir is correct about the two of you," Zelenka groused. "You do nothing but look for trouble." Sheppard only grinned boyishly, bounced once on the balls of his feet, and gestured with his P-90 towards the forest.

"Let's move em out!" he cried. After telling Teyla and Ronon briefly where they were going, the three men set off into the woods. While there was no cleared trail, the trees were widely spaced and the brush wasn't too dense. McKay led the group with the sensor held out in front of him. Zelenka followed closely behind McKay, while Sheppard brought up the rear, peering through the trees for any signs of either the energy source, or trouble. Though they had been working on the planet for nearly five days and had seen no natives, that didn't necessarily mean that there was no danger lurking in the shadows.

Just under an hour later, they came to a brown and gray outcropping of rocks jutting up from the ground. The sensor in McKay's grip began to make strange noises, and McKay looked to see if he could discern what was causing the odd reaction. Seeing nothing, the men continued on following the rocks as they grew higher and higher next to them. The rock face grew to be well over twenty feet tall, and Zelenka wondered what could have caused such a large upthrust. He was no geologist, but it still seemed out of place to him. After a few more minutes, they started to pass by caves carved out of the rock face. McKay scanned each cave, and the strange fluctuations on his scanner continued to register, but noting to indicate that it was the true source of the energy readings.

"There must be something in these rocks that's interfering with the sensor," Rodney grumbled.

"That would make sense," Sheppard said, "This looks like the place where Teyla and Ronon reported hitting a dead end." Rodney responded to this news by whacking the side of the instrument with his palm and fixing it with a deadly glare. No sooner had he done this then the men came to another cave, much like the others; except that the sensor started going crazy. McKay's face split into a grin. "Ah-ha!" he exclaimed, turning triumphantly to his companions. "And this is why you never send the students to do a master's job!" Sheppard rolled his eyes, but grinned just the same.

"Careful, McKay, I'll tell Teyla and Ronon you said that." Rodney blanched slightly, but huffed. "Anyway, all you've done is prove you can read a sensor," Sheppard quipped, "I still don't see the source of the energy."

"Well you're the one with the P-90, you go in first!" McKay retorted. Sheppard glanced at McKay's own 9 mil, still in it's holster, then back up at Rodney. "The P-90's got a light!" McKay mumbled. Sheppard shook his head and led the way into the cave, not commenting on the flashlight he knew that Rodney had on him.

The cave wasn't that deep, actually, only about ten feet in from the mouth, Sheppard came against the back wall. It wasn't that dark, either, as sunlight made it's way in rather easily from the mouth of the cave. After Sheppard made sure there were no evil creatures hiding in the shadowy corners, ready to dismember the scientists, he made his way back towards the entrance.

"Have at it," he told them, gesturing into the opening. The men wasted no time rushing in, flashlights at the ready, now that they were certain there were no Wraith or other monsters hiding in the corners. Sheppard grinned at their eagerness, leaning idly against the mouth of the cave. A moment later, he yelped and leapt away from the rock.

"Son of a _bitch_!" the colonel howled, his left hand gripping his right shoulder, as he staggered into the cave. McKay and Zelenka turned to see what had happened, and they could make out the colonel, silhouetted by the daylight from outside, as he sagged against the back wall of the cave. His P-90 lay discarded at the mouth of the cave, dropped when the jolt of pain had spasmed in his shoulder.

"Colonel, are you all right?" Zelenka asked, approaching the soldier. McKay was hot on his heels, when abruptly, both men froze.

Sheppard had drawn his 9 mil and had leveled the weapon at Zelenka's chest. The scientist's eyes grew wide, and he looked into the colonel's face for some kind of explanation. What he saw terrified him more than the gun.

Sheppard's face was a twisted mask of anger and panic. His mouth was drawn into a sneer, while his eyes pleaded with the men. In his mind, he screamed at them to get away, but no words came out. His hand shook, and the gun quivered in his grip as he fought a fierce internal battle. He could feel his muscles straining to pull the trigger, and it was though he was trapped in the wrestling match from hell. His body was betraying him, though his mind was painfully clear. When he was finally able to tear a word from his throat, the distorted voice that reverberated around the cave sounded nothing like his own. The meaning, though, could not have been more clear.

"**_Run_**!"

For a second, nothing happened. Time was frozen as the surreal became real. It thawed quickly, though, when Sheppard's finger trembled on the trigger. He was able to pivot his torso just enough that the shot only tore past the hips of the men in front of him. The explosion echoed around the cavern in a deafening roar.

It did the trick, though, as both McKay and Zelenka turned and dashed out into the sunshine, tripping over each other in their haste. McKay cast a look back over his shoulder at his friend as he scrambled through the trees, but immediately wished he hadn't. Sheppard was standing in the mouth of the cave, legs spread in a wide, awkward stance, gun still aimed at his companions. A few choice swear words escaped McKay as he scurried away even faster, doing his best to keep up on his feet. More than once, though, he wound up scrabbling along with his hands hitting the ground in front of him as he lost his footing. Zelenka struggled to keep up, fighting his way through bushes that were determined to drag him down.

Another shot ripped through the quiet of the woods, and Rodney heard Zelenka gasp, followed by a dull thud. His heart leapt into his throat, threatening to choke him for a second. It returned to simply hammering in his chest, though, when he turned to find that Zelenka was alive. The smaller man had fallen to the ground, and was now trying to get back to his feet, but having a great deal of difficulty.

"What the hell are you doing, Sheppard!" McKay screamed, not looking back, just grabbing onto Zelenka's arm, not bothering to check if the smaller man had been injured before he yanked him up. They could hear Sheppard following them, though his progress was much slower, as he was battling himself with each step. McKay slapped at his earpiece to call for help.

"Teyla, Ronon, anyone!" Rodney shouted between gasps for breath. He didn't dare pause for a moment, as another bullet shot past them, alarmingly close to his head. "We are under attack! Something is _seriously_ wrong with Colonel Sheppard! He's gone insane, and he's trying to kill me and Zelenka! I repeat, we are under attack from Colonel Sheppard!" Another shot, and McKay's voice squeaked up higher than ever. "Someone get out here and help us!"

Zelenka pushed himself forward with single minded determination that came from the most primal necessity -- survival. His right shoulder burned, and he knew that he had been shot. The pain was very, very far away, though. So was Rodney's voice as he called for help. Come to think of it, everything seemed far away, almost dreamlike, as he pushed himself through the trees.

Scratches and bruises covered both men, especially their hands, arms, and faces; and as their salty sweat dripped down their skin and seeped into their cuts, a whole different kind of burning began. A kind of itchy buzzing overtook them, seeping up into their brains as adrenaline continued to pump through their veins. Time was a very abstract concept, which currently held no meaning to the men.

They struggled to run through the disturbingly unyielding underbrush. Neither of them had bothered to pay any attention to where they had headed when they had taken off. They had simply been focused on getting away from the deranged colonel. They pressed franticly forward, neither daring to look back. Zelenka started to lag, and McKay grabbed his arm again to force him to keep up. Unfortunately, they weren't exactly paying expert attention to the ground in front of them, and neither genius managed to notice the steep drop off twenty feet away.

McKay was the first to hit the edge and lose his footing completely. The death-grip Rodney had reestablished on Zelenka's arm instinctively tightened as McKay tried to right himself, using Radek as a counterweight. All that accomplished, though, was to pull the smaller man inevitably over the brink.

They tumbled down the slope, alternately head-over-heels and a kind of log-roll. By the time they reached the bottom, both men were horribly dizzy, nauseous, and groaning in pain. Zelenka righted his glasses, which had been knocked askew, but still miraculously remained on his face. Looking back up at the hillside, the back of his mind guessed that the angle of the slope was probably fifty degrees, or more. The front of his mind, however, was far more interested in continuing to put distance between themselves and Sheppard.

This time, it was Zelenka who grabbed McKay by the arm and hauled the larger man to his feet. McKay let out a howl of pain when he tried to put weight on his right leg. Zelenka ignored it and pulled McKay forward, and after a moment, the Canadian let the adrenaline flooding his system take over again, and he continued to put one foot in front of the other.

Fifteen minutes later (time was rapidly becoming a more concrete reality), the men dropped down behind a fallen tree.

"Ok, that's it," McKay panted, collapsing on his back. "We stop here for now." Zelenka couldn't speak -- he was doubled over, his chest far too tight as his lungs tried to gather enough air to meet his blood's demand for oxygen -- but he nodded his assent. He was more than a little disturbed by the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. Rodney slowly sat up and reached to tap his earpiece and call again for help, but touched only his ear.

"Crap," he gasped. "I've lost my radio. Do you have yours?" Zelenka reached to check, but found nothing. He shook his head.

"We must have lost them during the fall," he wheezed. His shoulder was protesting loudly now that the adrenaline was wearing off. "Should we try and make our way back?" He winced at the thought, dreading the idea of moving right now, for any reason. Radek couldn't help feeling a bit relieved when McKay shook his head. The Canadian experimentally moved his inured right leg, wincing as both his knee and ankle screamed at him to hold still.

"First things first," he said through gritted teeth.

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End Notes: All thoughts and input is greatly appreciated! Oh, and REALLY BIG cookies for anyone who gets the musical reference of this title!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying it so far!

Chapter 2

"_Teyl ... on, any ..." _Came the cracked and distorted message to the Atlantis crew in the clearing. _"... der attack! Some ... wrong ... Shep ...! He ... and ... s try ... kill m ... lenka! ... repeat, ... under attack ... get ... here ... help us!_"

Teyla looked at Ronon, then at the scientists scattered around the machinery. Though the words was garbled, the message was clear, and the two knew immediately what needed to be done. Living their lives under constant threat of sudden attack by the Wraith had taught them both how to react under these kinds of circumstances.

"Everyone!" Ronon barked, "Drop what you're doing and get to the gate!" Since virtually everyone had heard the panicked broadcast, there was no argument. Thompsen began leading the troupe back towards the gate, with Ronon loping behind, making sure everyone kept up. Teyla lagged behind in the clearing for a moment, tapping her earpiece.

"Dr. McKay, do you read me?" she asked, hoping she'd be able to get a better idea of the situation. The only response she got were a few half syllables and a lot of static. After a brief pause to weigh the situation, she turned to catch up with the group. She knew that she and Ronon needed to make sure the other scientists got to the gate safely. They could go in search of Sheppard, McKay, and Zelenka once the others were safely back on Atlantis, and they could get Lorne and his men in as reinforcements. She had a pretty good idea of where to start looking.

Teyla used the time on their breakneck trip to the gate to sort out the report she would give to Weir, even while keeping alert for any ambushes. By the time the last of the group had arrived at the gate, the guard who had been stationed there had already dialed and the wormhole had stabilized. Teyla sent her IDC, then opened a channel to Atlantis

"Atlantis, this is Teyla, is Dr. Weir there?" the Athosian asked.

"_I'm here,_" came the voice of Dr. Elizabeth Weir. "_What's going on? The next scheduled report isn't for another three hours. Is everything all right?_"

"Unfortunately not," Teyla said, her voice grim. "Moments ago, we received a distress call from Dr. McKay. There was a great deal of interference in the transmission, and we were unable to reestablish communication; but it was clear that they were under attack. We are sending the rest of the science team through now until we can ascertain what is happening."

"_Good thinking, but who is 'they'?_" Weir asked, concern heavy in her voice. Teyla continued as the science team began making their way through the event horizon.

"The last report I had from Colonel Sheppard was that he was taking Dr. McKay and Dr. Zelenka to investigate an energy reading coming from the woods nearby," Teyla informed her. "I believe I have a good idea of where to start searching, so as soon as the science team is through, Ronon and I shall go to help them."

"_Wait until I can send through another team to help you. I don't want anyone getting hurt. Once everyone is through, shut down the gate and we'll send through reinforcements._" Weir paused, presumably processing the information being thrown at her._ "Were there any signs at all that this attack was coming?_" she finally asked.

"None," Teyla said, shaking her head. "In fact, to the best of our knowledge, this planet is devoid of intelligent life."

"_Could it be the Wraith?_"

"It is doubtful. None have come through the gate, and if a hive ship was nearby, I believe that I would have sensed it long ago. Also, they would have attacked first where there was a larger group of people in a clear area, not three men, most likely under the cover of trees." The last of the science team disappeared through the gate, and Ronon shut the device down, cutting off Teyla's conversation. She shot him a glare, which he ignored. In spite of her irritation, she knew that the sooner the incoming wormhole could be established, the sooner they would be on their way to finding the others.

"Let's go," Ronon said, turning on his heel and heading back towards the clearing, back in the direction he'd seen Sheppard and the scientists take off in earlier.

"We should wait for the others," Teyla said, but her voice was not as stern as it could have been.

"They can catch up," Ronon said. Teyla paused only a moment before she nodded. Her concern for her teammates overrode any other considerations. She and Ronon took off, both with the same thought: that the men were probably near the strange rock wall that they had encountered earlier. It had interfered with Klein's sensor, so it might well interfere with communications as well. Teyla tried again, anyway.

"Dr. McKay, this is Teyla, do you read me? Colonel Sheppard, are you there? Dr. Zelenka?" There was no response, only dead air. The two poured on the speed, both nimbly making their way through brush that would have tripped up most other members of the expedition. In less than thirty minutes, they had made their way back to the rock wall. They paused briefly to check in each cave they passed, but found no signs that the men had come to trouble there. Until, of course, they came to the cave where Sheppard, McKay and Zelenka had gone in earlier.

A rucksack lay on the floor of the cave, there was a P-90 by the entrance, and the ground had been torn up by bullets and scrambling feet. Ronon and Teyla exchanged glances and brought their weapons up in a ready position as they began scouring the area in detail. Ronon picked up the discarded P-90, then lead the way as they followed the scrabbled trail of upturned dirt into the trees perpendicular to the rock wall. They had only gone about a hundred feet or so before they came to the crumpled form of a man in the drab blue-gray of an Atlantis uniform.

Teyla rushed forward, while Ronon kept his weapon ready to ward off who - or what - ever had taken down his c/o. Sheppard was sprawled out on his face in the dirt, 9 mil still clutched in his grip. He was pale, and unresponsive as Teyla tried to rouse him.

"We need to get him back to Atlantis as quickly as possible," Teyla said. "He needs medical attention." Ronon made quick check of the area, but the only sign of the doctors was a trail of blood that he noticed several yards away from where the colonel lay. He growled slightly in his throat, not pleased with the situation. On the one hand, Sheppard needed medical attention, and Teyla was probably right -- the sooner the better. Teyla was strong, but there was no way that she could carry the colonel all the way back to the gate by herself; and there was no way that Ronon would let her stay out here and search for the scientists by herself with the attacker still on the loose. On the other hand, he hated to turn back and lose time in their search for the other men, who were doubtlessly injured. Ronon did not like to leave people behind, even if they weren't really _his_ people. They were the closest he had anymore. He heaved a sigh.

"Right, let's get him back," he growled, hoisting the colonel over his shoulders, putting the other man's 9 mil in the waist band of his pants. Their progress back towards the gate was significantly slowed by the new burden of Sheppard's unconscious form across Ronon's back. As they make their way past the edge of the rock wall, their radios crackled to life.

"_Teyla, Ronon, come in,_" came the voice of Major Lorne. He did not sound pleased.

"Teyla here, Major."

"_I thought Dr. Weir told you to wait for us,_" the major said, and the irritation in his voice would have given Rodney McKay a run for his money.

"Indeed she did, but there is no point worrying about that right now. We have found Colonel Sheppard, and he is unconscious and needs to get to Dr. Beckett right away." Quickly, Teyla instructed Lorne and his men how to get to their current location. The trail should be fairly visible at that point, since it had been traveled several times that day already.

Lorne and his three men met up with Teyla, Ronon, and Sheppard halfway back to the clearing from the rock face. The major made a face when he saw Sheppard, but even Teyla was unsure what precisely was going through his mind. A few barked orders later, two of Lorne's men had taken Sheppard from Ronon and were headed back to the gate.

"Where are Zelenka and McKay?" Lorne asked.

"We didn't see them near Sheppard," Ronon said, "But there was a trail of blood leading away from the spot where they were attacked." No further words were necessary as the four warriors took off in search of the missing scientists.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The adrenaline had officially worn off. Radek shivered slightly as a cold breeze dragged across his bare back and arms, still damp with sweat and blood. His shirt was pooled in his lap, his fists balled into the material and his teeth clenched as McKay inexpertly tended to his wound. He drew a sharp breath as Rodney did something to his shoulder that hurt like hell. Radek hoped that the injury wasn't too bad. The bullet had passed right through the muscle on the side of his shoulder, but he could still move his hand and fingers. The waves of pain that radiated down his forearm and into his chest, though, put him in a mindset to not really care how _serious_ it truly was. He just wanted it to stop hurting. He hissed, squeezing his eyes tight against the pain.

"Quit complaining, it's just a flesh wound," Rodney snapped, though Radek hadn't uttered a word since the process of cleaning had begun. "You're just lucky I've got my vest on. Otherwise, we'd have _no_ medical supplies" Radek rolled his eyes and grit his teeth.

"Perhaps if I'd had more than a thirty second warning that we were venturing into the deep woods, I would have put mine on as well," he muttered through his gritted teeth. "And perhaps I would still have had my gear pack if we had not needed to run for our lives. But the situation is what it is, and I would not qualify any part of it as 'lucky'." He paused and thought for a moment. "Except for the fact that we are alive," he added. As McKay worked on his shoulder, another wave of pain rolled over him, and he bit back a cry. "As for 'just a flesh wound,' how about I shoot you in the shoulder and then we will see how much of a big deal it is." Rodney was quiet for a moment.

"Ok, I've found something to disinfect the wounds with," McKay finally said.

"What, peroxide?" Zelenka asked. Oh, this was going to sting.

"Not quite..." McKay replied. Zelenka turned to face him, and saw Rodney holding a small handful of alcohol prep pads.

"You're kidding, right? Then what, put a band-aid on when you're done?" Zelenka snapped.

"Hey, I don't have much to work with here!" Rodney replied in kind. "Just shut up and let me do this so that you can take care of my leg!" Radek took a deep breath, but forced himself to remain silent and hold still. He had no problems arguing with Rodney, but the bullet wounds in his shoulder was a greater concern than the Canadian treating him, for the moment.

Ten minutes, half a dozen alcohol pads, two field bandages, lots of swearing, and makeshift sling later, Radek's shoulder was as cared for as it was going to be in their current situation. The Czech turned his attention to Rodney and his damaged limb.

While nothing was visibly wrong with McKay's knee, when his right boot and sock were removed, the ugly purple swelling of his ankle left no doubt that something was seriously twisted, sprained, broken, or otherwise damaged. After rummaging around in the pockets of Rodney's vest, the best thing they had turned up was two rolls of gauze.

"Well that's just wonderful!" McKay groused as Radek prepared to wrap his ankle.

"I only have one good arm at the moment, so unless you want to do this yourself, I suggest you stop complaining," Zelenka retorted.

"I would do it myself, but I can't reach down to my ankle without bending my knee, which hurts almost as badly!"

"Well it is not my fault that you are both inflexible and have a low tolerance for pain. Now hold still, because as I said, this not an easy task to do one-handed." Rodney managed to hold still, but continued to grumble and swear as Radek slowly wound the gauze taught around his ankle. Since none of the obscenities were actually directed _at_ him, Radek decided to not give Rodney any extra grief about it. After all, he mused, thinking of when Rodney had been bandaging his own wound, it really was a good thing that Rodney didn't speak czech.

Soon enough, Rodney was thoroughly bandaged, and Radek had even scrounged up a sturdy looking branch that McKay could use as a crutch. Zelenka collapsed against the half rotted trunk of the tree they were sheltering behind, taking care not to slam his shoulder into the rough surface. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing for a minute. Too soon, though, Rodney's voice cut into his attempts to relax some of the pain away.

"We should go back to the hill," McKay said, "Try to find our radios, make contact with any rescue parties." He had clicked to bossy and analytic mode. He'd found it was the best way to ward off the panic that these kinds of situations inevitably brought on.

"Do you think it is safe? Colonel Sheppard --"

"Was not himself, but was obviously fighting whatever... whatever had happened," McKay interrupted waspishly. He was doing his best to hide his fear for his friend. While running for his life, he didn't need to think about much of anything except putting one foot in front of the other. Now, though, he really didn't want to think about Sheppard; at least not until he was in a position to be able to do something to help him. "If he hasn't caught up to us by now, he probably won't. And if he does come along in the next five minutes, do you really think you can run any more?" Radek thought about it a moment before shaking his head slowly.

"Fine, but remember that I cannot carry you," Zelenka sighed, dragging himself back to his feet.

"Obviously," McKay retorted. "You can at least help me up, though!" Zelenka offered McKay his left hand, which the larger man took, hauling himself to his feet. Using the branch to steady himself, he tested his ability to move. He grimaced as sharp pain stabbed upwards from his leg, but he was able to move without falling over.

Slowly, the men began to make their way back towards the hill they had tumbled down earlier. It was tough going, but eventually they worked out a kind of strange three-legged gait, with Rodney holding his crutch on his left side and Radek supporting him on his right. McKay glanced over at Zelenka, and was shocked at how pale the other man really was. He hadn't noticed it earlier, and wondered how much blood his colleague had actually lost.

When they finally came to the foot of the slope, Radek helped Rodney sit, then began feeling around for their radios. Rodney began searching as well, though not moving, so it was actually only looking _really_ hard. It was neither sense of sight nor touch that led the men to their lost equipment, though. It was the sound of static and distorted voices calling their names.

"_Doc ... Kay, Zele ... read us?_" Both men's eyes were drawn to a spot on the ground about five feet up the slope. Radek reached up to grab the headset, but he had hardly gotten it in his grasp before Rodney had managed to drag himself to his feet and snatch it away from him. He wasted no time fixing the piece to his ear and responding to the call.

"This is Dr. McKay," he said. "Your transmission is very broken up."

"_McKay!_" came the slightly less garbled voice that Rodney recognized to be Major Lorne.

"Major! I never thought I'd be glad to hear your voice," he said, relief flooding him. "Have you found Colonel Sheppard? How is he?"

"_He is unconscious ... n his way back to Atlantis ... Dr. Beckett ... are for him,_" came Teyla's voice. The transmission was getting stronger, and Rodney hoped that meant that they were getting closer. "_How are you ... Zelenka? ... were becoming concerned. There is quite a lot of blood._"

"We're alive, but the sooner we can get back to Atlantis, the better," McKay replied, casting a quick glance at Radek, who was still looking decidedly white.

"_Do either of you ... a gun?_" Lorne asked. Rodney made sure that he indeed still had his sidearm before confirming. "_Good. Do you know if ... attacker is still in the area?_" McKay's jaw hung open, and for a moment he was speechless.

"Did you completely miss my initial transmission? It was Colonel Sheppard who attacked us. He was..." McKay trailed off, not really wanting to discuss how Sheppard had tried to kill him and Zelenka. McKay had never had many friends, and now that he'd found a few, the thought of losing them made him ill, and this was too damn close for comfort. "He was not himself," he snapped. "But it was Sheppard who attacked us. Unless there are any mountain lions around, the greatest danger we are in at the moment is starving to death." The line was silent for longer than McKay liked. "Lorne? Teyla? Still there?" he asked nervously. He peeked again at Radek, who was now laying on his back, his face tight with pain.

"_We're here, McKay,_" Lorne's voice came back. His tone was unreadable. "_Fire a few shot ... air so we can figure ... close we are._" Rodney paused for a moment, then fumbled to draw his sidearm. Shaking slightly, he pointed the muzzle towards the canopy and squeezed the trigger twice.

A mile or so away, Teyla, Ronon, and Lorne heard the shots break the quiet of the woods, and they took off running towards the source of the sound.

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End Notes: Ok, next chapter should be up in a few days as well. Remember, the more comments I get, the longer I stay at my computer, and the longer I stay at my computer, the more I stare at the story, and the more I stare at the story, the faster I write it! (Ok, I shut up now and go back to writing constructive stuff... like whumpage...)

Oh, and in case it isn't obvious yet, I'm Zelenka-centric in my writing (though I do my best to be fair to all). Telling me how much you like Zelenka will make me happy that I'm not the only geek out there!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: You ask, I provide! Thank you all for your kind words!

Oh, pardon the OC's, I just get sick of saying "guard #1," and it happens that once they get named, they like to count. They're annoying to me like that.

Chapter 3

Lieutenant Healy raced back along the path towards the gate. He was sure that Smith and Spinnicchia had already gotten Colonel Sheppard through the gate and back to Atlantis, but he needed to let the base know what Dr. McKay had just told them. He practically crashed into the DHD, fumbling to dial as quickly as he could. It seemed to take far longer than usual to establish the wormhole. He activated his GDO, waited a moment for the shield to lower on the other side, then rushed through.

"Lieutenant," Dr. Weir greeted as he stumbled through the other side. Concern was etched on her face, but she kept her tone relatively neutral. "Any news on Drs. McKay and Zelenka?"

"Yes, ma'am, both are alive," Healy told her. "The Major, Teyla, and Ronon are assisting them. But," he said, lowering his voice slightly, "I have important news regarding the Colonel, ma'am." Weir's brow furrowed, and she motioned for the young soldier to follow her to the infirmary. She had been on her way there when the unscheduled incoming wormhole drew her back to the gateroom.

As they walked, Healy quickly told her what McKay had reported, and Weir's face grew very grim. By the time they reached the infirmary, Sheppard was already in scrubs, and had been hooked up to various wires and IV's. As Weir and Healy entered, Dr. Carson Beckett approached them.

"How is he, Carson?" Elizabeth asked. The Scotsman sighed and shook his head slightly.

"He's been better, he's been worse," Beckett replied. "Soon enough, I'm going to have assigned beds for him and his teammates." Weir nodded and a half smile tugged at her lips in spite of the situation.

"Speaking of which, the Lieutenant here has reported that both Dr. McKay and Dr. Zelenka are alive and will probably be on their way back here in short order," Elizabeth told him.

"Thank God for that," Carson breathed in a sigh of relief. When word of the attack had reached them, it had put everyone on edge, dreading the worst.

"It's not all good news, though, sir," Healy said. He cast a glance towards the unconscious Colonel. "Dr. McKay informed us that it was Colonel Sheppard who attacked himself and Dr. Zelenka. Radio contact was spotty, at best, and Major Lorne felt it was imperative that this information get to Atlantis ASAP, so I don't have any further details."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Dr. Weir said, dismissing the young man with a nod. Healy turned and left the infirmary. He hated being the bearer of bad news, and the sooner he could get away from the frustrated looks on Dr Beckett and Dr. Weir, the better. With the young soldier gone, Carson turned to Elizabeth.

"What happened out there?" he asked. Weir sighed.

"The men who can answer that question are hopefully on their way back to fill us in," she said, rubbing her temple. "In the meantime, Colonel Sheppard should probably be restrained. As a precaution."

'_Why did this sort of thing keep happening..._' Elizabeth suppressed a shudder, thinking of Lieutenant Ford; of the incident where Sheppard had nearly transformed completely into a... creature; of Colonel Caldwell; of the still far too recent events involving Phoebus and Thalan.

She half jumped when a warm hand squeezed her bicep. She didn't realize how tense she was, her arms crossed beneath her breasts, fingers gripping her forearms tightly. She looked into the blue eyes of her Chief Surgeon and kind friend.

"We'll figure this out," he said in his soft brogue. "We always do." With a final pat on her arm, he moved towards Sheppard's bed to secure the man. Weir hovered behind him, close enough to watch, but not so close as to be in the way. As Carson tightened the first velcro strap on Sheppard's right wrist, the steady beeping of the heart monitor suddenly picked up it's pace. In seconds, two nurses materialized at the colonel's bedside, ready to assist Beckett with whatever he needed.

Swiftly, they finished securing the restraints on Sheppard's wrists and ankles. The beeping of the heart monitor reached a frantic pace, and Sheppard's eyes flew open. The muscles in his arms and legs snapped tight, and one of the nurses jumped away as he tried to lunge towards her.

"John!" Elizabeth cried before she could stop herself. She heard Carson calling for something, probably a sedative, but she paid no attention to it. Her eyes locked with Sheppard's, only for a moment before he squeezed them shut again, but the desperate look he had given her was enough to wrench her heart.

John was in hell, pure and simple. He felt his limbs pulling against the restraints, and he felt himself fighting them. He willed his body to obey him, and it ignored him. It was similar to when Thalan had taken over his body; but this time, there was no other consciousness in his mind fighting him for control. There was only himself, his own thoughts, his own awareness; and his body, a separate entity in it's own right, with it's own wicked objectives. In a rush, his memories flooded back to him, bringing with them a wave of sickness.

He couldn't bring himself to look at Elizabeth or Carson. With a supreme effort, he turned his head and opened his eyes, but saw no signs of McKay or Zelenka. He was certain he'd shot Radek; he'd seen the scientist fall. It was at that point that he had fought so hard against whatever was affecting him that he guessed that he'd blacked out. He only hoped that his body had collapsed at the same time, and had not continued on after his friends, unhampered by his pesky consciousness. His body thrashed wildly against the restraints, but a new sensation was taking over.

Slowly, a heavy warmth settled over his limbs, and he guessed that Carson had put some kind of tranquilizer into his IV. John took a shaky breath, and found that with his ability to move hampered, he did not have to consciously fight himself every moment. That meant that he could focus more on speaking, and experimentally he let out a groan. Not entirely conclusive, but promising.

However, this meant he may be able to find out about McKay and Zelenka. Which meant he might well have to hear that he'd killed them. He closed his eyes again, not sure if he was ready to deal with this.

He became aware of the weight of a hand on his shoulder. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and looked up into the face of Carson Beckett. The Scot had a tight smile on his face, and Sheppard hoped it was simply due to his own circumstances, and not any worse news. '_Can't avoid it forever. Might as well get it over with,_' he thought.

"McKay?" he whispered, his voice tight, but nothing like the horrid croak that had escaped him back at the cave. "Zelenka?" Elizabeth came into his line of vision, standing next to Beckett. He felt her hand on his arm. He could feel the muscles tense with the urge to strike out. To his relief, though, they didn't have the power to do more than twitch.

"They're alive," Weir told him. With those two simple words, she could see the fear rush out of his face, to be replaced by relief. "They're still on the planet, but should be back soon."

"What happened?" John whispered. A worried frown settled on Weir's features.

"We were kinda hopin that you'd be able to tell us, lad," Carson said, careful to keep his expression as neutral as possible. John took a breath to steady himself. He was starting to get tired as the sedative wrapped it's lazy tendrils around his brain.

"At the cave... something shocked me," he said, battling to keep his eyes open. "Then... I dunno... just like my body went berserk... drew my sidearm... shot at Zelenka and McKay... I think I hit Zelenka... then I blacked out..." It was a losing battle. He forced his eyes open and looked Beckett in the eye. He had to get one more thing across. "Keep me restrained. Physically, chemically, whatever." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Talking was rapidly becoming too much for him.

"Relax, son, no one else is going to get hurt, I promise," said Carson's soothing voice, from very far away. The blood rushed in his ears, and once again, everything was dark.

Carson heaved a deep sigh and bowed his head slightly. Turning back to Elizabeth, he found she had once again wrapped her arms around herself. In spite of her defensive posture, her eyes were determined as she looked at Sheppard.

"Let me know as soon as you have any answers," she said, not making eye contact with Beckett. She waited until he acknowledged her order before turning and making her way out of the infirmary. Beckett shook his head slightly.

"This is too damn much for any one group of people to deal with," he sighed as he turned to a nurse. "All right, let's draw blood for labs, then an MRI and EEG. Let's see what that tells us and we'll go from there."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

More than two hours later, the Stargate opened again on Atlantis.

"_Dr. Weir? This is Teyla, do you read?_" came the calm voice of the Athosian. Elizabeth responded right away.

"This is Weir. How are our men? Do you have them?" she asked.

"_They are doing as well as can be expected after their ordeal. They are about five minutes behind me, so if medical teams can be waiting for them, it would make things go much more... smoothly._" Weir could almost hear the small smile she knew had settled on Teyla's features. She breathed a small sigh of relief, trusting that McKay and Zelenka were both well enough to be making nuisances of themselves.

'_Well, at least McKay is,_' she mused, and her own ghost of a smile flickered briefly across her lips. "Understood. Dr. Beckett, we need a med team to the gateroom for incoming casualties."

"_Aye, on our way_," came the response. By the time two gurneys, corresponding nurses and orderlies, and Dr. Beckett himself had made their way to the gateroom, the wormhole had begun to deposit a rather bedraggled group of people.

Major Lorne came through first, supporting a very pale Radek Zelenka. Next came an extremely irritated looking Ronon half-carrying a very loud Rodney McKay. Teyla came through last, still smiling serenely. She shared Dr. Weir's relief at having found the two scientists alive and as well as could be expected, and could not help but be amused at the protests Dr. McKay was lodging against Ronon.

"OW! _What_ part of _injured_ is so difficult to understand!" McKay barked as Ronon jostled him onto one of the waiting gurneys. Ronon said nothing, but gave Beckett a 'he's all yours' look before he stalked away towards the infirmary. Beckett rolled his eyes slightly, half a smirk on his face. In spite of the gravity of the circumstances, all the members of Atlantis were filled with a sense of giddy relief now that everyone was home and in one piece.

"Well, Rodney seems to be awake and alert," Beckett said, turning to Radek who was laying back on the other gurney. "How are you doin, then?" The scientist was pale, but he managed a small smile as the gurneys began rolling down the hall after Ronon. Beckett did a quick survey of the man, noting his respiration and checking his pulse as they went.

"I will live," Zelenka replied. He closed his eyes a moment. "How is Colonel Sheppard?" he asked, trying to hide the quaver in his voice. Beckett made sure his response was loud enough for both Rodney and Radek to hear.

"He's in one piece. He was very concerned about the both of you, though."

"Is he..." Rodney trailed off, unsure how to finish the question.

"Don't you worry about him, for the moment he's well enough," Carson said, keeping his tone light. "Let's get you two taken care of, first. Then I'm sure Dr. Weir will want to speak with both of ye, and we'll sort out the details." The gurneys rolled to a stop and Beckett was all business. He began firing questions off at the men as he started their physical exams. By the time he'd finished with them and sent them off to be poked and irradiated by the lab techs, Dr. Weir was standing right outside his office. She stepped inside as he strode over to her, and he followed her in, closing the door behind them.

"How are they?" she asked as he drew his hand across his face.

"Not that bad, all things considered," he said. "Colonel Sheppard was right, he did shoot Radek, but it was only through the shoulder. Hurts like hell, I'm sure, but no nerve damage. A fair amount of blood loss, probably since he was running like a madman and his heart was goin a mile a minute, but nothing we can't handle. Rodney managed to sprain his ankle pretty badly, an probably twisted his knee as well. Aside from that, they've got a load of bumps an bruises, an that's about it. They should both be up an about in no time giving me grief."

"Did they say anything about Colonel Sheppard?" Elizabeth's arms were tightly crossed again. She did that a lot, Carson noted.

"Aye," he sighed. "They were concerned about him. Just going on my gut reaction, I'd say that they're not holding any grudges. I didn't let them go on about the details, though. I wanted to make sure they were sound first, before they got themselves worked up."

"How long until I can speak with them?"

"It shouldn't be too long," the Scotsman said, half surprised at the admission. "Actually, if all their tests come back clear, they'll probably both be released in a few hours. I don't want them exerting themselves any time soon, though." Weir nodded slowly.

"How is John doing?" she asked.

"No real change in his condition, I'm afraid. In spite of his actions -- or reactions, or whatever they are -- his body is perfectly healthy. Though, we did pick up some strange readings on his EEG," Carson replied.

"What does that mean?"

"His brain waves are showing some irregularities. We're doing some more scans now to see if we can get any better answers, but what with having to keep him sedated, I don't know if the results will even be reliable," he said, drawing a hand through his unruly hair.

"Is there any way we'll be able to speak with him, without..." she trailed off, but she knew that Carson would understand what she was asking.

"Aye, I believe we can work something out so that he'll be able to talk with us without having to worry about any kinds of outbursts."

"Very well, then. Contact me when they're ready."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

End Notes: I hope y'all like this chapter as much as the previous ones! And for those of you who don't like waiting a day between updates, you could check out my previous story, "Faith and Misery!" Hee hee, is it pathetic that I plug my stories in my own stories? But in all seriousness, I think there might end up being a tie between the two stories (though this one will still be able to be understood and appreciated independent of F&M).


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I sincerely hope this chapter a) is not boring and 2) makes sense. As I have no beta to reassure me on these things, I must go with the voices in my head, who like to sing Irish drinking songs at 2:00 AM. Thus, I'm not too sure about their reliability...

Chapter 4

Five hours later, Weir, Beckett, McKay, Zelenka, Teyla, Ronon, and Lorne were gathered in the conference room to go over the events that had taken place on the planet. McKay's foot was thoroughly bandaged and his crutches leaned against the wall behind his seat. Zelenka's shoulder was now wrapped in a fresh, clean bandage and he had a much more sturdy-looking sling for his arm.

All eyes were focused on the two scientists, neither of whom seemed to want to initiate the discussion. Dr. Weir finally broke the silence.

"What happened down there?" she asked. Her tone conveyed her concern for all her men, and it snapped Rodney out of his silence.

"We were investigating power readings," he began. He quickly ran through the events leading up to finding the cave. "Sheppard went in first, to make sure it was safe. He came back out, told us it was all clear. It wasn't even a very big cave, there wasn't really anyplace for anyone to hide."

"We were only in there a minute when I heard the Colonel swear," Zelenka broke in. "He was standing at the mouth of the cave, but then moved in to the back. I asked him if he was all right, but as I approached --"

"_We_ approached!" McKay corrected.

"Yes, as we approached him, he drew his weapon and... pointed it at me," Radek said, not contesting Rodney's correction. "For a moment, I thought that maybe there was something behind me he was aiming at, but I looked in his face, and," he drew a breath and gathered his thoughts. "I knew something was horribly wrong. He told us to run, then he fired his gun." When Radek fell silent, Weir looked at him expectantly. It was Rodney who picked the story back up.

"We ran," he said. "I heard another shot, then I heard Radek fall down." He carefully avoided eye contact with anyone. No way he'd let on what he'd been thinking when he heard that thump. "I grabbed his arm and hauled him back up, and we kept on running. I called for help. I remember one more shot, and a lot more running. Then we fell down that damn hill." Radek nodded.

"That was when Rodney hurt his ankle and knee," Radek said, having found his voice again, "And we lost our radios, though we didn't realize that at the time. We just got back up and kept going."

"Though not for much longer," McKay said, indicating his leg. "Everything else, you pretty much know."

"All right, then let's go back to what happened at the cave," Weir said. "You said you heard Colonel Sheppard swear. Any idea why?" Zelenka shook his head.

"Not really. Sounded like he hurt himself."

"What do you mean?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Like... like how Rodney swears when a circuit shorts and he gets a shock." McKay glowered at Radek. "What, are you going to argue?" McKay opened his mouth to do just that, but Weir cut him off.

"Ok, between the swearing and the shooting, did he do or say anything else that might help us figure out what happened?"

"He just... leaned against the back wall, as though he was very tired, and by the time we were near him, the gun was out," Zelenka said.

"Why did you go into that cave to start with?" Elizabeth asked. She was determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Like I said, the sensor went crazy," McKay groused. Teyla looked at Ronon, some confusion in her face.

"We went past that same cave earlier with Dr. Klein, and the sensor did not indicate anything past the usual interference of the area," Teyla said, leaning forward slightly.

"Get Dr. Klein in here," Weir said. Five minutes later, the lanky, dark-haired man walked into the room and sat at the table. "I assume you know the situation." Klein nodded. News traveled fast on Atlantis. "You went on the first survey for the energy source with Teyla and Ronon. What did you find?"

"Not very much," he said with a shrug. "We came to a big rock wall that seemed to interfere with the sensor readings, but that was about it. We weren't able to pinpoint anything."

"That's all? Nothing else spectacular happened?" McKay demanded.

"The wall looked good for climbing, but I didn't have my gear," Klein replied with another shrug.

"So why would our sensor go crazy when we got to that cave, while Klein's read nothing?" Zelenka asked. "What was different?" McKay snapped his fingers a few times rapidly, and everyone in the room braced themselves for 'genius at work.'

"Klein, you got here on the Daedalus, what, four weeks ago?" The tall man nodded.

"Thereabouts," he said.

"Do you have the ATA gene, or gotten the gene therapy?"

"No, on both counts," Beckett said, his face lighting up as he caught on to McKay's idea. "And Teyla and Ronon don't have it either."

"However, both the Colonel and I _do_ have the ATA gene," McKay crowed, a triumphant smile plastered across his face. "Our proximity might have triggered the power spike, and Sheppard must have been affected by... whatever it is."

"Which brings us to, what is it?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know, since I haven't even _seen_ it!" McKay snapped.

"A booby-trap, maybe?" Carson suggested.

"Who would set a booby-trap for the Ancients?" Rodney chastised, rolling his eyes. "None of the technology on the planet was _remotely_ Wraith, and setting a trap on a deserted planet isn't really their M.O."

"Who said it was set for the Ancients? Maybe the energy spike was a warning to keep Ancients away from the trap," Zelenka pointed out.

"None of the technology was Ancient, either. So what, some supremely technological race said, 'Hm, I think I'll set a trap on this empty planet, to guard this funny wall of rock, but just in case any Ancients wander by, I'll put in an early warning system for them'?" Rodney snarked.

"Why would anyone set a trap on a random cave?" Ronon asked. McKay was startled by the question, but recovered quickly.

"They wouldn't," he said, his eyes starting to light up. "So the cave probably isn't random. There's probably something special about that whole damn wall, which is why it interfered with our sensors."

"Ok, so what," Weir asked, tipping her head, "Sheppard tripped an alarm system? A defense mechanism? What was it defending?"

"I don't know, but I think we need to find out," McKay stated.

"All right, what do you propose?" Weir met his gaze, and he swallowed, knowing the reaction his suggestion would get.

"Someone needs to go back to the planet and figure out exactly what it is that we're dealing with," he said, tipping his chin up slightly.

"Do you think that's wise?"

"I think it's the only way we're going to figure out what happened to the Colonel and how to fix it," he said. "And whatever that device was defending is probably worth something too." His tone told Weir that he was determined, and she nodded.

"Who should go?"

"Me, Zelenka,Teyla and Ronon," McKay said. Carson and Radek both cut him off.

"Absolutely not!" came from the Scotsman.

"I am wounded!" Zelenka stammered.

"Rodney," Carson said, in a slightly less irritated tone, "Ye can hardly walk around Atlantis, how do ye think yer gonna make it through the woods on that ankle?"

"A jumper can't make it any easier, the trees are too dense everywhere except the clearing they had been working in anyway," Lorne added. Rodney huffed, but was forced to concede to logic.

"Fine, then take Klein instead," McKay said to Zelenka, irritated that his plan had held such an obvious flaw. Klein raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. It took far less than four weeks to understand how Rodney McKay worked and learn to ignore the snark. Weir looked at Beckett.

"How do we know that what happened to Sheppard won't happen to anyone else?" Weir asked, concern tugging the corners of her mouth down.

"We don't," Rodney admitted, "But as long as they're careful, I think this is worth doing." Weir looked skeptical. "Look, my instinct for self-preservation is infamous, and I would go in a heartbeat if I was physically capable of getting there." Weir sighed, but didn't see any other options.

"Is Zelenka all right to go?" she asked Beckett. She hated to ask the slight man to go out again so soon, but they needed answers, and Rodney was right. If he wasn't going to be able to go, Zelenka was next best.

"He lost a fair amount of blood, he should be resting," Carson said, already regretting releasing the men from the infirmary.

"Yes, well if we sit around resting and the Colonel dies," Rodney snapped, "I think we'd be a bit worse off!"

"We don't even know if his life is actually in danger!" Carson yelled right back. Radek listened to the argument raging around him, but he knew it was a foregone conclusion. After his initial reaction, he realized Rodney was right. The Colonel needed his help. Radek did not consider himself a brave man, but when his back was to the wall, he did what needed to be done, to help his friends.

Though new people filtered in from the Daedalus, and old people filtered out -- or died -- the group from the original expedition, who stepped into the unknown and lived as a family for the first year here had formed a deeper bond than most of them realized. At least, until something threatened to tear them apart.

"I will go," he said, drawing a few stunned glances from around the table.

"You need to rest, not galavant about the woods on an alien planet!" Beckett said, fearing that he was fighting a losing battle.

"I need to do this, or I fear I will not rest at all," Zelenka retorted, and Beckett knew it was over.

"Damn stubborn..." he grumbled. "Ye at least have to eat a solid meal before ye do anything." Radek nodded slowly.

"Doctor," Weir said, looking at Beckett, "How long until you have all the results from John's tests?"

"Probably another two or three hours."

"Fine, then after you have all the results, we will meet back here and make the final decision as to weather or not anyone is going to go at all. That gives Dr. Zelenka plenty of time to get something to eat and even rest a bit." Weir knew the slight man would be doing anything BUT resting, but he might at least eat. McKay would probably help see to that. "Dismissed."

The group stood and they made their way out of the conference room, but only Klein wandered off towards his lab, presumably to start getting gear together. The man had a knack for packing. The others looked at Beckett expectantly. He knew what was coming. Either life was incredibly predictable or he was becoming psychic.

"When can we see Colonel Sheppard?" Teyla asked. He sighed. These people were nothing if not incorrigible; but that was part of what made them great at what they did.

"Give him a half hour, by then he'll be out of testing. But _not_ everyone all at once! And remember, he's heavily sedated, so he might not be feeling up for any visitors."

"Half an hour, good, that gives us time to eat. Let's go," Rodney said, tapping Radek on the calf with his crutch. Radek rolled his eyes.

"Do not expect me to carry your tray, I only have one arm!"

"Well I don't have _any_ arms available at the moment!" The conversation trailed off as the men made their way down the hall.

Weir shook her head and mused. It amazed her how her people dealt with each situation handed to them. They came face to face every day with problems most people could only ever imagine; not to mention some problems she wasn't sure anyone could ever imagine. They had all suffered, they had all watched friends suffer and die; but they persevered. They now have the chance to go home, but they chose to stay. Instead of letting the stress tear them apart, they channel it into sarcastic humor and dedication to their work and their friends. As tiresome as they may become, she knew she had the best of the best.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

End Notes: I know, all that talking can get boring, I hope it wasn't too bad (or illogical...). Next chapter gets more into the action again. I do hope y'all are still enjoying this beast!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thanks to everyone for their kind words!

Chapter 5

Twenty-five minutes later, Weir, McKay, Zelenka, Teyla, and Ronon were already waiting outside the infirmary. Carson looked at his watch and waited the full five minutes before he went out to speak with them. All eyes were on him as he stepped out into the hall where they had gathered.

"All right, he's awake, but heavily sedated," Beckett told them. "Of course, the man is still probably more stubborn than the lot of you combined. He wants to see McKay and Zelenka. The rest of you get to wait your turn, and if he's too tired after speaking with the good doctors, then that might mean waiting for a while."

The group nodded in quiet acceptance of Carson's rules. Elizabeth was silently thankful that the two scientists were going in first. Her gut told her that it was likely to start a healing process, one she wondered if the men even realized they might need. She was actually somewhat surprised that Sheppard hadn't wanted to avoid speaking with McKay and Zelenka, and she wondered if perhaps Carson had influenced John at all. She just hoped that Sheppard's condition didn't make anything any worse between the men.

McKay had his lips pursed, and Zelenka was looking a bit pale again. Carson had a feeling it had little to do with his blood loss earlier; at least not directly. "Are you lads sure that yer up for this right now?" he asked, concerned for the physical and psychological well being of all his patients. Immediately, both men were shaken out of whatever thoughts they had been wandering in.

"Of course!" McKay snapped in irritation, pushing his way past Carson, followed closely by Zelenka. The two scientists approached the unmistakable dark haired figure laying on a bed in the corner of the infirmary. McKay swallowed a lump in this throat as he saw the the Colonel was still strapped down, in spite of the sedation; but he didn't say anything.

"Hey," came the raspy voice from the bed. Radek pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose several times before he dared to look into the Colonel's face. When he did, he saw not a distorted mask; but a pale, tired visage. Sheppard's eyes were droopy, but the relief in them was obvious. Zelenka couldn't help feeling a bit relieved as well.

Until that moment, Sheppard had been unable to fully believe Carson's reassurances that both Radek and Rodney were all right. As much as his guilt made him want to hole up and not face either man for a long time, he'd needed to see them for himself. In spite of his current predicament, John felt a huge weight lift from his chest. A twinge of it returned as he looked at Zelenka's sling and McKay's crutches, but the fact was both men were alive and relatively well. Still, he couldn't bring himself to look them in the eye.

"I'm sorry," John said, though the words felt pathetic on his tongue. McKay waved his hand dismissively.

"There is nothing to apologize for," Zelenka said. Sheppard opened his mouth to argue, but Rodney cut him off.

"You were obviously not acting of your own volition, and the fact that you told us to run and we just kind of stood there like doorstops until the gun went off didn't help matters," he babbled. "But anyway, how are you feeling?" he stammered, not able to keep himself from glancing down at Sheppard's restrained wrists. The colonel noticed the nervous tick, and closed his eyes for a moment.

"As well as can be expected, I guess," Sheppard said. "They've got me doped up pretty well, I don't think I could move anything but my face right now, even if I wanted to. These are just an added bonus," he said, glancing down to his own wrist. A nervous smile flickered across McKay's features for a moment, but it was unconvincing. An uncomfortable silence settled on the men.

"Look, we're gonna figure this out," McKay finally blurted. "So just, I don't know, just keep it together until we get things worked out." Sheppard managed a small smile.

"I'll do my best," he said. Before the silence could settle again, he continued. "Is Elizabeth out there?" Both McKay and Zelenka nodded.

"Teyla and Ronon too," Rodney added. John drew a slow breath.

"Would you mind sending the next shift in?" he asked. "I don't know how much longer I'm gonna be able to stay awake, and I'd like to check in with everyone before I pass out." He didn't mention the nagging guilt that was building back up as he looked at the injuries that his betrayal, no matter how unintentional, had caused.

The scientists nodded again, and turned to leave. None of the men were really satisfied leaving it at that, but for the moment, they all knew it would have to suffice. The wounds were still too fresh.

As McKay and Zelenka passed by Carson, they told him of John's request, and the medical doctor nodded, motioning for Elizabeth to go in next. Teyla and Ronon could wait, and Elizabeth would need all the information she could get before making her final decision about sending anyone back to that planet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Three hours later, the decision was made. Carson's scans had shown some abnormal activity in part of Sheppard's brain, something called the amygdala. "_It's part of the fight or flight defense system we have,_" Carson had told them. He also spoke of blood tests and chemistry coming back basically normal, no signs of any pathogens; just elevated levels of adrenaline, which would not seem to come down. The finer medical details were lost on most of the group, but they got the gist. What it boiled down to was that Beckett had no idea how to fix what was going on with Sheppard's brain, but something needed to be done.

Zelenka was getting his things together, and he made a mental note to thank Klein for packing everything up so well. The two scientists made their way to the gateroom, with Klein hauling most of the gear. Teyla and Ronon were already waiting for them.

"Here, let me take one of those," the Athosian offered, indicating the packs, but Klein shook his head.

"That's ok, I've got it," he said with a smile. Ronon raised an eyebrow at the lanky scientist and the three bulky bags he was carrying. The man must be stronger than he looked.

In a moment, Major Lorne and his team joined them in the gateroom. Elizabeth had insisted - though no one had argued - that the military team should go as well. They were to remain at the gate, to alert Atlantis for backup if anything went... awry.

Radek cast a glance up at Dr. Weir and Dr. McKay standing above them in the control area. A nervous smile flickered across his lips before he broke eye contact with them and the gate began to dial out. He closed his eyes and commanded the flutter in his chest and the throb in his shoulder to subside. The last chevron locked in place, and the familiar whoosh of the wormhole opening dragged his eyelids open once more.

"Good luck," Elizabeth called to them. Her voice sounded very far away, as Radek listened to his pulse in his ears. The two teams down below only nodded as they made their way through the event horizon.

Once on the other side of the gate, Teyla wasted no time leading the way back towards the cave. Radek and Klein followed as quickly as they could, and Ronon followed behind the scientists, his keen eyes scanning for threats. The team traveled in silence until they reached the now-familiar location of the cave. Klein and Zelenka immediately set to work with sensors and tools that neither Teyla nor Ronon understood.

Radek threw himself into the work, focusing on rooting out the source of the energy spikes from earlier. The more technical the situation turned, the less personal, the less painful it became.

Teyla watched with interest as the scientists worked. Though she didn't fully understand most of what they did, it was educational simply watching them. In fifteen minutes, the men had located a device embedded in the wall of the cave, near the mouth. Teyla radioed their progress to Lorne, though the signal was still quite weak from the interference, so she doubted that much information got through. Her gaze came to rest on Dr. Zelenka as he stared at the device in the wall.

"I think this is where the Colonel was standing before he..." Radek trailed off as he pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind. It hardly mattered, after all, as he had only been speaking to himself, so he covered up the stray thought with some czech mumbling. He willed himself to remain focused on the device itself. He and Klein poked and prodded the device as much as they could, but all they could establish was that there were no extraneous energy spikes from the contraption at the moment.

"Think we should chance taking it out?" Klein asked. "We can't really work on it in there. There are no ports, no way for us to get any information out of it from this angle."

"Is that wise?" Teyla asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Perhaps not, but it looks like our only option at the moment," Radek sighed, then nodded at Klein.

Zelenka tried to help with removing the device; but space was tight, and Klein, with two good arms, was doing most of the work. Radek found that he was more in the way than anything, so he busied himself by pacing along the back wall of the cave. With a sigh, he leaned against the cold rock, tipping his head back against the unyielding surface.

Well, it should have been unyielding, anyway.

Radek Zelenka never heard Brent Klein's shout of triumph as he wrested the piece of machinery from the wall. He didn't hear Teyla and Ronon calling for him. He didn't see the group searching frantically for him. He didn't see Ronon send Teyla and Klein back to the gate with the piece of equipment. He didn't see Ronon try to tear the cave apart, howl in frustration and slam his fist into truly unyielding stone.

All that Dr. Radek Zelenka could see was darkness. All he was aware of was falling, and pain. For the second time that day, he was tumbling head over heels down a steep incline. This time, instead of soft dirt, he was pounded mercilessly against cold, solid stone. By reflex, he tried to fling his arms out to slow himself, but he only succeeded in sending nauseating waves of pain radiating out from his wounded shoulder. The cry that tried to escape him was cut short by a blow to his ribs from some unseen object in his path.

He changed tactics, trying to curl into himself, but only managed moderate success as he accelerated down the seemingly never ending ramp. His head was slammed against rock more times than he would have cared to keep track of, even if he had been able. Without warning, he struck level ground, but inertia carried him a fair distance across the floor before he came to abrupt halt, his lower body slamming into something very sharp. Radek became acutely aware of a tearing sensation in his left thigh as some incredibly sharp, pointy thing buried itself into his flesh.

"That's not good," he gasped before consciousness fled him.

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End Notes: Ok, so I've kinda been bad and not had much time for writing lately... so I called in sick tomorrow! Take that, semi-corporate America! I'm calling in sick to work so that I can sit at home and write fanfiction! (That and this damn chest cold...)


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Ok, here we go. Radek-centric chapter (gawd, why do I always like the geeks...) I've only proofread this chapter three or four times (and yea, I often need many more than that), so forgive any boo-boo's there may be within. NO MARY-SUENESS LIES HEREIN! (Still lookin for a perma-Beta! nudge-nudge-wink-wink)

Chapter 6

Zelenka wasn't sure how much time had passed before he slowly became aware again. He wasn't all that sure he wanted to be aware either, as the fist thing that assaulted his brain was a variety of hurts. His shoulder was throbbing again, he felt a spike of pain from his ribs every time he breathed, and his left thigh was screaming at him. Through the pain, he was aware that he was laying on something relatively soft, yet decidedly uncomfortable, not unlike the beds in the infirmary.

'_Maybe I'm back on Atlantis, and Dr. Beckett is about to give me lots and lots of morphine_,' his mind whispered. Slowly, he cracked one eye open and took in his surroundings.

Wherever he was, it certainly wasn't the infirmary, unless Carson had done some serious redecorating. The walls and ceiling were stone, with light sources built in to them, emitting a glow that was easy to see by, yet not harsh. He turned his head, and though his shoulder protested the movement, he was otherwise unhindered. He saw a room filled with clutter, though he couldn't make out any of the details.

He struggled to a sitting position, gingerly swinging his legs over the edge of the cot he was on. There was a dark stain covering most of the thigh of his left trouser leg, and through the tear in the material, he began to investigate the cut itself. He hardly stopped to wonder how he had gotten from the base of that incline to wherever he was now. That was, until a voice broke into his thoughts and nearly made him fall off the bed.

"Who are you?" it asked. Radek looked up and saw a woman approaching him from across the room. She had long, silvery gray hair, and eyes that might have once been bright blue, but had now faded to almost gray. She wore simple, loose fitting clothes in grays and browns. If Radek had not lost his glasses in the tumble, he would have also seen the lines on her face, which told of a long life. Yet she was not enfeebled; she stood straight and tall, and her voice was strong and demanded a response. It took Radek a moment to find his voice.

"I am Dr. Radek Zelenka," he said, keeping his voice as steady as possible. The ache in his head was growing, and he was starting to feel woozy. "Who are you?" he asked without thinking. The woman raised an eyebrow, but otherwise ignored his question.

"Why have you come here?" she asked. Zelenka gazed at her in confusion.

"I don't even know where 'here' is. I was in the cave and I fell--" he began, but she cut him off with a very McKay-like wave of her hand.

"To this planet, to the cave," she clarified, stepping closer to the scientist. "Why have you come?" Radek was certain the world was spinning around him, now, and his stomach was threatening to violently remind him of his last meal. Still, he tried to remain calm.

"My people are explorers," he said, slowly and carefully, looking the woman in the eye. "I am a scientist. I came to study the machines in the clearing. We came to the cave because we detected energy coming from it." He took two slow breaths, commanding his stomach to cease it's writhing. "We were just exploring. We meant no harm." He squinted at the woman, wishing his glasses had managed to stay on through the fall again. "Who are you?" he asked again.

"You do not know?" she asked, seeming genuinely confused. Radek shook his head, but immediately regretted it, as the edged of his vision grew dark for a moment. She stepped up next to him and looked down into his face. Now that she was standing so close, he could tell she was a very tall woman, probably better than six foot. "You are Human?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, unsure what else he could be. He looked away from the woman and back down at his bleeding leg. To his dismay, the stain grown larger. With his left hand, he pressed down on the wound to try and stem the blood flow, biting his lip as the action sent fresh waves of pain through him. The woman sighed and shook her head.

"Indeed, it would seem you certainly are human," she murmured. Radek wasn't sure, but it sounded as though he had just been insulted. However, when he looked back at the woman, she had a soft smile on her face. "Lay back, I will tend to you, and then we shall talk." Habit and exhaustion moved him to do as she asked; but he paused halfway through the motion, remembering he should probably be wary of this woman. "I will not harm you unless you give me cause to," she said, understanding his hesitation. Her smile was kind, and Radek was too exhausted to fight anyway, so he laid down and his eyes slid shut. After a few moments, they opened again so that he could see what the woman was doing. His blurred vision reminded him that his glasses were missing

"I don't suppose that you found my eyeglasses," he sighed. Another thought occurred to him, and he reached for where his headset should be, to find that gone as well. He swore quietly. The woman looked at him.

"Eyeglasses," she said, though it sounded almost like a question. "These?" she asked, proffering a bent but unbroken pair of wire-rimed spectacles. Radek smiled.

"Thank you!" he said, straightening the frames as best he could. "By any chance, do you have my radio as well?" he asked, more hopeful this time. The woman shook her head.

"No, I found nothing else," she told him, returning to her ministrations. After using what must have been some strange medical scanner to determine the extent of his injuries, the woman turned towards his wounded thigh. She drew out a small, but sharp, knife, and for a moment Radek's heart fluttered in panic. To his relief, the woman simply cut the bloodied fabric of his pant leg away so that she could clean and bandage the wound.

"You never did tell me your name," Zelenka said, glancing at the woman's face. He was puzzled by the mix of technology she used; the scanner versus the knife and cloth bandages that she now pulled from a drawer. She paused for a moment, considering how to respond.

"You may call me Breeda," she finally said. Her tone was light, but the smile had faded from her face.

"What is this place? Are you here alone?" Zelenka asked, hoping he wasn't pushing his luck too much, especially since she was still tending to his very unhappy thigh. He was curious, as they had not detected any life signs on the planet. The interference from the rock wall probably explained that.

"This place is home," she said simply. "I have been alone for some time now, and I'm not sure that hasn't affected my better judgment," she added with a smirk, glancing at his bandaged wound.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I mean," she continued, sitting Radek up so that she could change the dressing on his shoulder, which had bled through, "That I would not have been so forgiving of trespass in the past."

"Well whatever the reason, I thank you for your help," he said. She finished tending to his wounds, and he took a deep breath. '_Not the greatest idea_,' he thought with a wince, since she had not done anything for his ribs.

"My sister was a far better healer than I," she said, as if in apology.

"This is much better than I could have done for myself, thank you," he said with a smile. The smile faded slightly as his mind drifted back to Colonel Sheppard in the infirmary on Atlantis, and he changed the subject. "Who did you think I was? I mean, you asked if I was human..." he trailed off as Breeda cast him a look he wasn't sure what to make of.

"One of your companions activated the defense mechanism, which is set to respond only to the Ancients or the Wraith; and you are certainly no Wraith," she said.

"Nor are we Ancients," he said, realization dawning, "Though some of us have a gene that will activate Ancient tech-- Wait a moment! Will that device trigger and affect anyone it reads as an Ancient?" Breeda nodded. "I must get back, warn them!" Radek said, growing frantic. If Klein had gotten it out of the wall, they would bring it back to the gate, Major Lorne, Atlantis, McKay... He tried to scramble from the bed, but his wounded leg reminded him sharply that it wasn't such a great idea. Breeda furrowed her brow.

"Get back where? Warn who?" she asked.

"The rest of my team, my friends. Many of them have the gene, and if what happened to Colonel Sheppard happens to them as well..." Zelenka left the thought unfinished, not wanting to think about the possibilities. Now was not the time to be delicate. "Do you know how to fix what has happened to him?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, still not seeming to follow the scientist's thought.

"Then please, you must tell me!" he pleaded.

"I think perhaps we need to discuss things a bit more," she said.

"There is no time! Klein nearly had the device out before I fell! They will be bringing it back to the Stargate, and--" he stopped as anger and fear flashed across the face of the woman before him.

"You removed the device?" she asked, her tone low and dangerous. Radek tried to swallow around a lump that had sprouted in his throat.

"Yes, well, we were trying to understand what had happened to Colonel Sheppard--" his explanation was cut off by a wave of Breeda's pale hand.

"It must be returned, at once!" she said.

"Well if you help Colonel Sheppard, then we will have no need of it! I am sure that it would not be a problem to return it to you."

"Where is this Colonel Sheppard now?"

"On Atlantis," he said.

"The _city_ of the Ancients?" she said, stepping back from Zelenka as though he had recently bathed in excrement. "Oh, I will have no part of this! Take my defense screen back there, let them get what they have earned."

"I do not understand why you hate the Ancients so much, but they are long gone!" Radek was half surprised at the anger in his voice. "We may live in their city, but we are human, as human as you!" She was quiet. His tone softened. "You have shown me compassion here, and I hope that my loss of blood has not impaired my own judgment of character," he said, echoing her words from earlier. "I do not know much about you, but I have seen that you would not let an innocent man suffer needlessly. This was simply a mistake."

"Mistake or not, your friend is no innocent. If he were, the device would have had no effect on him," she said, anger flashing in her eyes. Radek was rapidly growing frustrated.

"We are wasting time arguing. The Ancients may be long dead or ascended or wherever they are, but your device can still cause major problems for my friends on Atlantis, who have never done anything to you! Now are you going to help me, or not?" She weighed the decision for a long moment, and Radek became nervous. Aside from not helping, the woman probably had it in her power to seriously hinder his ability to help anyone back on Atlantis.

"Very well," she said, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Your people came by the Stargate?" He nodded. "Then we shall leave shortly. The sun is almost fully up."

"How long was I asleep!" he asked in astonishment. It had been at least two hours till dusk last he knew.

"Several hours." He groaned. Things may have already spiraled out of control. This was not good. "We will need to walk to the gate; do you think that you will be able?" He tested his leg gingerly, but found it unwilling to support him. Breeda rummaged around in the clutter for a moment, then came back with what looked for all the world like a regular old crutch. She tapped the top of it before she handed it to Radek. As he tested his weight on it, it adjusted automatically to his height, and his eyes lit up with joy at the gadget. The geeky distraction only lasted a moment, as he focused again on the task at hand. He had to get back to Atlantis.

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End Notes: Ok, forgive the OC, but at least I'm no Mary-Sue writer! If anyone figures out the strange references that I'm making with this story, then you'll get a lifetime supply of cookies.

FYI, chapter 7 is being extra stubborn. I do hope to have it up by Friday, but no promises.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Ok, so I poked this chapter into submission after all! Well, kinda. This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but it was either this or a really LONG chapter probably not posted until Monday; so I decided to give ye this! (In spite of current pain-in-my-butt-ness)

Chapter 7

When Dr. Zelenka had seemingly disappeared into thin air, for a moment, Klein, Teyla, and Ronon had all stood, disbelieving. Then in a flurry of motion, both Ronon and Teyla had begun a quick search of the cave, not that there was any place the Czech truly could have hidden. Ronon gave Teyla a glance, and she understood his meaning: get the scientist and his find to safety.

Teyla grabbed Klein and they began a mad dash towards the gate. Klein gripped the device - the size and shape of a medium textbook - tightly, tucked under his arm like a football. Neither spoke as they ran, both knowing that getting to the gate and establishing contact with Atlantis was imperative. They had to let Weir know about their missing man, to tell McKay that they had the contraption in hand that could have very likely been the cause of Colonel Sheppard's condition.

Ronon stayed behind to look for Zelenka; but due to the interference in the area, Teyla and Klein had no way of knowing if the ex-Runner was having any luck. Teyla's features were set in a grim expression as they drew close to the small clearing by the gate. Major Lorne looked up at them as they approached, and saw from the countenance Teyla wore that something had gone wrong. He motioned for the other members of his team to stay put while he moved forwards to speak with the arrivals.

"What happened?" the Major asked as the two drew up, breathing heavily. His question was to go unanswered, at least for the moment. The device in Klein's hands lit up like a fireworks display, startling everyone. The lanky scientist dropped the machine, as if burned; and as one all three of them backed away from the object on the ground. Lorne brought his P-90 up quickly. No one breathed.

"Major Lorne," Teyla said warily, "Are you all right?" His eyes snapped up from the device blinking on the ground to meet hers.

"I'm fine, I'm more concerned about the both of you, since you were the one transporting that thing," he replied. "I assume it came from that cave?" Teyla nodded, while Klein had gotten his sensor out. The three men at the gate had their P-90's in a ready position; not really aimed at anything... yet.

"The energy level has spiked," Klein said, staring at the readout. "I think we should all back as far away from this thing as we can." They had all been backing away slowly since it lit up; but now they quickly cleared a large circle around the thing, still blinking merrily. After they had cleared a twenty-five foot radius, the energy spike on Klein's sensor dropped off to nothing, and the lights on the device dimmed and went out. Still, no one moved.

"We need to contact Atlantis," Teyla told Lorne, who was now standing closest to the DHD. Still eyeing the device on the ground, the major nodded and began to dial out. In moments, the familiar blue puddle had filled the gate, and Teyla was hailing Atlantis.

"Atlantis, this is Teyla, are Dr. Weir and Dr. McKay there?" It was an eerily familiar situation.

"_Right here, Teyla, go ahead_," came the voice of Elizabeth Weir.

"_What's going on? Have you had any luck? Is everything ok?_" Though the team on the planet didn't hear Dr. Weir tell Rodney to relax, they all knew it was said.

"Teyla and Dr. Klein have come back with a device they got from the cave," Major Lorne reported.

"_What is it?_" McKay snapped.

"We don't know yet," Klein said. "It was dead when we took it out of the wall, no power readings at all. It had no effect on any of us. As we got close to the gate, it lit up and started to activate. Fortunately there were no discharges. We backed away, and it went dead again."

"_Why did it activate?_" Weir asked.

"Going based on McKay's theory, it might well have been because we got too close to Major Lorne," Klein said. "He has the ATA gene." As he spoke, Klein began to slowly approach the device. Lorne watched him intently, P-90 still at the ready, though aimed at the ground; the machine remained dead. "It doesn't seem to be reacting to my proximity," Klein reported. "Maybe this thing really is designed to defend against Ancients. We haven't had a chance to study it. We need better equipment than we have here now."

"_Could we bring it here to Atlantis, if we keep all ATA personnel away?_" Weir asked.

"_No way!_" came McKay's emphatic reply. "_If it has that response to a person with the ATA gene, it might also respond to the proximity of Ancient technology here on Atlantis._"

"It hasn't had any problems with the sensor," Klein said, but McKay was adamant.

"_We can't take the risk,_" he said.

"We can not just sit by and do nothing, leaving Colonel Sheppard to continue on in his current state," Teyla pointed out.

"_Don't you think we know that!_" McKay yelled before Elizabeth's calmer, but no less concerned, voice came though.

"_You're quite right_," she agreed. "_But I think Rodney's right - we can't bring the device here - and no one with the ATA gene can work on it._"

"_Ok, so Klein and Zelenka figure it out,_" McKay said. The irritation in his voice did not really mask his frustration. Everyone by the gate knew it was killing McKay to be sitting in the control room, not able to do the work himself, waiting for information to trickle in. In part because he hated to trust investigative research to anyone but himself; but moreover because he hated not being able to do something to help Sheppard. "_We'll send through some equipment with some non-ATA personnel--_"

"That is why we have returned so quickly," Teyla said, cutting McKay off and getting back to the question Lorne had posed before the device had distracted them all. "Dr. Zelenka is missing."

"_What?_" came McKay's panicked squawk in unison with Weir's concerned question.

"We were in the cave and Dr. Klein was extracting the device from the wall. Dr. Zelenka was at the back of the cave, and then he was gone," Teyla explained.

"_Gone? What do you mean GONE?_" McKay snapped. "_People don't just disappear!_"

"Ronon is looking for him," Teyla continued, though she doubted the news would do much to soothe Dr. McKay. "But due to the interference from the area, radio contact is difficult, a best."

"Dr. Weir, permission to assist Ronon?" Major Lorne asked. There was a long pause.

"_Denied,_" came the reply. To most ears, Weir's voice held little evidence of her inner turmoil and frustration at the situation; but Teyla could hear it plainly. "_I'm sorry, Major, but I don't want to risk sending anyone with the ATA gene out, in case there are any more devices around. We will send through equipment and personnel to assist both Dr. Klein and Ronon._"

"Understood," Lorne replied.

"_Disconnect the gate, we will dial in shortly,_" Weir said.

"Yes, Ma'am." Lorne deactivated the gate, and the wormhole fizzled out of existence. The group waited, mostly in silence, for nearly thirty minutes before the gate hummed to life again. During their wait, Teyla was sorely tempted to go and assist Ronon, but eventually decided against it. Night would be falling soon; and though she was nimble and accustomed to wild lands, this world was not her home. She did not know all if it's quirks and dangers. Ronon, as a Runner, had perfected certain skills that even the Athosians had never been forced to learn.

As the wormhole stabilized, their radios crackled to life.

"_Teyla, Major Lorne,_" said Dr. Weir, "_I don't suppose you've got any news for us?_" They could detect just the barest note of defiant hope in her voice.

"Unfortunately no," Teyla said. "We have not heard from Ronon or Dr. Zelenka." She could almost see Dr. Weir nodding in acceptance of the information on the other side of the gate.

"_Right, then,_" Elizabeth said. "_Dr. Thompsen, Lieutenant Healy, and Sergeants Smith and Spinnicchia are on their way with some equipment for you." _

_"It should be enough to set up a temporary lab station and keep it well lit and comfortable through the night,_" McKay broke in. The tall, blonde form of Dr. Peter Thompsen made it's way through the gate, followed by the soldiers. All were carrying large cases full of equipment. There was never any questioning the fact that they would be working straight through the night.

"_There are also additional night-vision equipment and other supplies for those going to join the search for Dr. Zelenka,_" Dr. Weir added. "_Major, do I need to remind you that no personnel with the ATA gene are to go out in the search party?_"

"No, Ma'am," Lorne responded. He would have been insulted at her notion that he'd need to be given any order twice; but they had both worked with Sheppard long enough that he understood her caution.

"_Good luck, then,_" she said. Her voice was strained. Before the wormhole had collapsed, the group in the clearing had already begun setting up their new equipment. Klein put Teyla in charge of keeping the device far enough away from the activity until all the people with the gene were done assisting in the setup.

Only one member of Lorne's team at the gate did not have the ATA gene, so he took Healy, Smith, and Spinnicchia aside to gear up and prepare to join Ronon in the search for Dr. Zelenka.

In short order, the temporary lab was set up and brightly lit, and the search party had been dispatched. Teyla managed to raise Ronon on the radio, and he gave his location, reporting no luck in his search thus far. She let him know the soldiers were on their way to assist, concerned he might shoot them when they neared his position if he wasn't aware they were coming.

Thompsen and Klein dived into the work, desperately trying to decode the device on the table before them. Even though there was often tension between the military and scientific contingents on Atlantis, most of the scientists liked Colonel Sheppard. Some for no other reason then the fact that he could annoy McKay to no end, but most of them saw that he respected them and their work. He was a well liked man. And now, with Dr. Zelenka's whereabouts unknown, the need to uncover as much information as possible pressed heavily on them. At least among the scientists, Zelenka was even more well liked than the Colonel.

Overall, the situation encouraged them to work as quickly as they could. They labored through the night, but the contraption was just as stubborn as it's larger cousins in the clearing not so far away.

As dawn broke, Teyla once again attempted to contact Ronon and the search party. Lorne was patrolling the perimeter, being very careful to give the impromptu lab a very wide berth. He was passing by the path that led to the clearing with Geek-Henge, as Healy had dubbed it, when something drew his attention.

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End Notes: Ok, this story has OFFICIALLY taken on a life of it's own (five days ago, I was thinking this thing would be finished by now!). It's dragging me all over the map, but so far I'm holding on for the ride. Hope y'all are too! Next update prolly won't be till Monday. In the meantime... uhh... I dunno. Have fun?


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Ok, the chapters are comin slowly, but they're comin!

Chapter 8

Major Lorne blinked his eyes to confirm what he was seeing. The path was long and the light was still not great, so he brought up his P-90. With the brightening day, though, the beam did little to illuminate the source of his confusion.

In spite of that, he was still now certain that, distantly illuminated by the glow of the sun through the trees, Dr. Zelenka and a strange woman were making their way towards the clearing by the gate. Teyla drew up next to Lorne, hardly able to believe her eyes as well. Though the figures were still some fifty feet away, it was tough to mistake the Czech scientist, even in his now more battered state.

"Dr. Zelenka?" Teyla called, well aware that the Major had his P-90 up and ready. She angled herself as best she could do obscure the weapon from the line of sight of the approaching figures, without actually being in Lorne's way. The small man looked up in surprise at her voice, and even from a distance, she could clearly make out the relief on his face. The scientist picked up his pace, hobbling along with some kind of crutch he'd gotten only the Ancestors knew where, and the woman lengthened her stride as well.

"Teyla!" Radek yelled as he drew up to them, thankful to see friendly faces. "Major Lorne! Is everyone all right? The device has not be brought to Atlantis?" he blurted before catching sight of the temporary workstation set up. Thompsen and Klein were still single-mindedly plodding through their tests, and he noted their dedication with a smile. Teyla raised an eyebrow.

"We have been concerned about you, doctor," she said. "You vanished from the cave and we were unable to raise you on the radio. Ronon and a team have been out searching for you." Radek didn't quite know what to make of it. Of course, he should have realized that they would have had no way of knowing he was relatively safe. He had just been so concerned about getting the information from Breeda, about the device, to Atlantis; making sure that everyone else was safe, that he'd almost forgotten that his own condition had been a mystery.

"Oh," he finally managed to mutter as the situation processed. Teyla tapped her earpiece, hoping that Ronon and the soldiers would hear her.

"Ronon, Lieutenant Healy, do you read me?" she asked. Through the static of the reply, she got an affirmative. "Dr. Zelenka is safe, he is back here with us by the gate. Please return." Some more static, but finally Sergeant Spinnicchia reported that they copied and were returning to the gate.

"Who's your friend here?" Major Lorne asked pleasantly enough, though Teyla and Radek did not miss the note of suspicion in his voice.

"I am Breeda," the woman told him, looking him squarely in the face. She had drawn herself up to her full height, and truly made an impressive figure.

"Yes, and she has agreed to help Colonel Sheppard," Zelenka added quickly.

"With the understanding that my defense screen will be returned to me," Breeda said.

"Yes, yes," Radek said hastily. "But please, first, tell us how we can help Colonel Sheppard. You do not even have to come with us, since you find it so distasteful." Breeda shook her head.

"What are you talking about, Doctor?" Teyla asked, confusion wrinkling her brow.

"To make a very long story short," he explained, moving towards the Stargate even as he spoke, "The device that we took from the wall of the cave is a defensive mechanism designed to keep... certain people from intruding."

"But the effects can be reversed?" Lorne asked, eyeing the woman skeptically.

"Of course," Breeda said. The group was almost at the gate now. Teyla dialed Atlantis.

"Dr. Weir, this is Teyla."

"_How's it going there? Any good news?_" came Weir's reply.

"Indeed, very good news. Dr. Zelenka has made his way back to us." Weir's sigh of relief was audible. "He has brought along a woman named Breeda who claims to be able to help Colonel Sheppard."

"_And where exactly did he find this woman?_" McKay interjected. It seemed that both he and Dr. Weir had been living in the control room; and from the extra edge in his voice, Teyla and Radek both knew the man had not slept.

"It is a long story Rodney, one I would much rather share while under the care of Dr. Beckett," Radek said. His leg was positively throbbing after his trek through the woods.

"_Are you all right, Radek?_" Weir asked, concern heavy in her voice.

"I will be fine, as long as Dr. Beckett does not kill me for accumulating more injuries, not to mention ruining his handiwork on the ones he's already treated."

"_And this woman...?_" Weir left the question open, trusting that Radek would understand what she needed to know and come up with a response that would not offend their potential guest before she could help Colonel Sheppard.

"She tended to my wounds and helped me get back to the Stargate," he replied. "She has agreed to help Colonel Sheppard as long as we return her defense screen to her." Weir processed the information. This woman may have ulterior motives, but she had given a sign of good faith. It was a calculated risk.

"_I assume you have recalled the search teams?_" Weir asked.

"We have. They should be back within the hour," Teyla responded.

"_Very well. Once they make it back, you are cleared to come through._" Radek and Teyla breathed a silent sigh of relief. Lorne only gripped his P-90 a little tighter as the gate deactivated.

While they waited for Ronon and the others to return, Radek filled them in on what had happened to him yesterday; at least, as much as he remembered.

"That reminds me," Radek said, facing Breeda, "How did I get from where I crashed down that ramp to the room where we spoke?" The woman shrugged.

"I was aware of you and your companions presence in the entry cave," she told him. "I worried that it was only a matter of time before one of you tried to get in. I know now that it was unintentional, but I was waiting nearby. When you fell, I reached you quickly. Since you were unconscious, you were of no immediate threat, so I simply brought you to a more habitable section."

"What, you carried him?" Lorne asked skeptically. The woman may not seem frail, but she did look to be in her sixties, at least.

"It was only a twenty minute walk. The corridors in the section where he entered are cluttered with debris, the beds would have had a difficult time getting through," she explained, as though it was perfectly acceptable for her to carry a 160 pound man for twenty minutes with no problem. By this time, Thompsen and Klein had both left their station and had joined the group by the gate. Both scientists grinned broadly at Zelenka.

"Good to have you back, Radek," Thompsen said. The Czech smiled.

"Indeed," Radek said, "Though I will not be fully satisfied until we are back on Atlantis, Colonel Sheppard is back to his old self, and Rodney is picking up my workload while I rest comfortably." The other men chuckled at his statement.

"Which brings us back to the question of how exactly your friend here is going to help the Colonel," Lorne said.

"Yes," Radek said, looking at Breeda. "I asked you before, but you never did tell me. Perhaps if you could just explain it to us, you would not need to come with us." The woman sighed and shook her head.

"Even if you could understand, it would do you no good," she said. "You are human, and only my people can undo the damage that has been done."

"You are not human?" he asked. She tipped her head and smirked at him.

"You are a bright man, Dr. Radek Zelenka," she said. He flushed slightly. "If we must wait for the others to return before we can get this over with, I might as well use the time to explain," she sighed.

"That would be good. As much information as you can give us would be helpful," Teyla said kindly. Breeda bowed her head.

"Then I shall start at the beginning." She drew a deep breath. "My people are old, as old as the Ancients, if not older. In spite of the impression I may have given you, Dr. Zelenka, we do not hate the Ancients, nor any other group of people. However, we are a protective people, prone to settling down and keeping only ourselves and those we care for safe. Because of that, we are not really cohesive, and there are many different clans spread amongst the stars, some of us differing wildly from each other. Some of us actually lived on Earth, for a while," she said, smiling at the humans from that planet. Several jaws dropped, as they wondered how she could know not only their planet of origin, but who among them were from Earth. She chucked slightly before continuing.

"After a while, those of us who ended up here in this galaxy became aware of the growing war between the Ancients and the Wraith. Though we would defend our own homes and charges from the cullings, most of us refused to take part in the large-scale conflict. This did not go over too well with the Ancients.

"They asked us for help, many times. Our technology is as great as theirs, and they were convinced that if we joined forces, we could eliminate the Wraith all together. You may think of us what you will, but we have our own reasons for our actions, and our inaction. Most of us steadfastly refused to join the conflict, and I stand by that decision.

"My sisters and I came to this planet long ago, because of the fact that there were no humans left here. No reason for the Wraith to come, no reason for the Ancients to bother us. One of my sisters built the defense screen. My other sister made sure that the effects of the screen could be reversed by any one of us. And it was I," she said, her eyes darting only briefly towards the ground, "Who specified the effects it should have." The reaction was a mix of awe and anger and confusion, and many questions were fired at her all at once.

"No, I cannot tell you how the machines in the clearing work," she told the scientists. "My sister did not build them, though she understood them. They were left here by another clan long ago, from a time when this world was populated. They defend against Wraith darts, but I do not know how.

"Yes, I will explain _why_ the screen does what it does, the reasoning behind it," she said, facing the accusatory glares of Teyla and Lorne. "But not until I can face the one who was actually affected by it." There were unsatisfied grumbles all around, but for the moment, the response was accepted.

"But, the Ancients have been gone from this galaxy for over ten-thousand years," Radek said, his brow furrowed as he looked at Breeda. "Surely your sisters and you would have known that before you came here..." he trailed off, wondering if the outlandish thought that had strayed into his mind was even possible. If Breeda and her sisters had come here to avoid both the Wraith and the Ancients, then the Ancients were still actively around... The silver-haired woman smiled. "How old _are_ you?" he asked in astonishment.

"Now Radek, I'm surprised at you," she said, laughter threatening to break through her mock-stern facade. "You seem like too much of a gentleman to ask a lady her age." Silence settled over the group for a moment before it was broken by the crackle of Major Lorne's radio.

"_Sir, we're five minutes out,_" came Lt. Healy's voice.

"Copy," said Lorne, who moved to begin dialing Atlantis.

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End Notes: I do hope this isn't getting too confusing or boring for anyone. :holds up a sheet of gauzy material: Are you all still enjoying this? Let me know!


	9. Chapter 9

AN: OI! I'm terribly sorry about taking so long to update, but Real Life decided to SUCK this past week. (Fan Fiction decided to suck too, and not show me my hits or let me upload this! Grr!) This chapter was originally intended to be the last, but it's gotten REALLY long; an since it's been so long since I updated that I decided to split it up and post this to let y'all know that I'm still typing. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

Dr. Weir was standing by anxiously in the gateroom, McKay by her side, waiting for her people to come back home. A medical team was standing by, ready to assist Dr. Zelenka and any other casualties there might be. Elizabeth drew a breath to steady herself, hoping that in such a short amount of time, there would be no new injuries to report. The gate began to spin, and a call of "off-world activation" rang through the control area. So far, their journey to this particular planet had been nothing but one disaster after another. '_Much like many of our other ventures in this galaxy,_' she thought, crossing her arms tightly against herself as the Stargate burst to life in front of her.

Within a minute, almost everyone was back on Atlantis. Smith and Spinnicchia had stayed behind to guard the device, but everyone else had come back through. Weir breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Radek really was alive and relatively well. She then quickly sized up the condition of the rest of her team.

Elizabeth did find herself a bit surprised at the appearance of the woman who had come through with her people. She decided that she had been working with Sheppard too long if she was finding herself expecting all the female visitors to Atlantis to be cover-girl contenders. She put on her best smile and hoped that this calculated risk paid off.

"Welcome home," she said to her people as they filed through. "And welcome to Atlantis, Breeda, is it?" The woman was looking around idly, not with the wonder that most people did. Though her expression was relaxed, her spine was stiff.

"Thank you," Breeda replied, her eyes coming to rest on the leader of the Atlantis expedition. "You must be Dr. Weir. Radek has told me much about you," she added with a smile. Weir raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Czech scientist, who flushed red as he was being helped onto a gurney.

"Oh really? What else has dear Radek been telling you about, hm?" Rodney broke in, glaring back and forth between Zelenka and the woman. She chuckled.

"And you _must_ be Dr. McKay," she said with a slight shake of her head. Rodney was about to say something, but Breeda continued. "It is lovely to meet you all, but I would like to keep my time here short, as I'm sure you all would as well. So if I may be introduced to Dr. Beckett and Colonel Sheppard?" Weir nodded, and the group followed Zelenka on his gurney down the hall to the infirmary.

"So would someone care to fill us in on everything?" Weir asked. Teyla, Lorne, and Zelenka reported what they knew as they walked. When they reached the infirmary, however, the informal debriefing was put on hold as Carson swept down on them.

"Ach, and what have ye done to yerself now?" Dr. Beckett said making his way over to Radek. "And when did my infirmary become a meeting room?" he asked, glaring around at the six people surrounding the scientist.

"I'm sorry, Carson," Weir said with a smile. "This is the woman I was telling you about." Breeda was looking at the Scotsman curiously, her head tipped to the side slightly, as if trying to remember something.

"Oh, ok then," Carson said, taken somewhat aback. He had no idea how this woman planned on helping the colonel, but at this point, he was willing to take any help he could get. Sheppard's condition had become more problematic over the past few hours. The level of sedative that Beckett had to keep in his system was rapidly becoming dangerous. If they let the level drop too much, though, then the colonel would still try and strike out at anyone and everyone in the vicinity. If no one was around, he would just flail against the restraints, tearing at his wrists and threatening to pull muscles.

"Breeda, was it?" Beckett said, extending his hand, which the woman grasped briefly as she nodded in response to his query.

When Carson said the woman's name, it somehow sounded much more melodic, less awkward, Weir mused. Then again, most things Carson said with that brogue sounded nicer. All part of his marvelous bedside manner.

"If you would be so kind as to introduce me to Colonel Sheppard, I will make my stay here as quick as possible," Breeda said, locking eyes with Beckett. After a moment, he tore his gaze away to look at Zelenka.

"I will be fine a while longer," Radek said to Carson. "It is nothing that the nurses cannot attend to in the meantime."

"I'll be the judge of that, lad," Beckett told him. "And I should check you out as well," he said to Breeda.

"Dr. Zelenka lost consciousness for several hours after hitting his head," Breeda informed the Scotsman, who became flustered at the news.

"Well then you can wait five minutes while I give this git a once-over," Carson snapped, glaring without malice between Radek and Breeda.

After a quick exam, Carson was satisfied that Radek was in no immediate danger. His patients were triaged to his satisfaction, and there was no question that Sheppard's need was more immediate. "Right then, let's go," he said, turning to Breeda. '_At least Radek isn't prone to wandering out of the infirmary behind my back,_' he thought as he turned to lead Breeda, Weir, and a grave looking Ronon into the cordoned off section where Sheppard was currently resting.

Teyla and McKay had remained with Zelenka after a sharp glare from Beckett had kept them from following the others. Lorne moved to stand outside the doors, in case he was needed. With Ronon beside both Sheppard and the strange woman, he hoped the situation would be well in hand. However strong Breeda might be, Lorne was sure Ronon was stronger.

Elizabeth looked at John, and indeed, if anything, he only looked worse than he did earlier. There were dark circles under his glassy eyes, and his wrists were red and raw. She couldn't see his ankles, but she wagered they were in the same condition. She wondered again why anyone would ever want to do this to someone.

Through the sedated haze that swam around his head, John was aware of the people coming in to his quiet corner of hell. He didn't feel much like talking to any of them at the moment, but he hardly had the energy to tell them to go away. When the silver-haired woman came in, his mind perked up slightly, wondering who she was and what the hell she was doing here. He really didn't need to become a sideshow attraction for the locals. He was vaguely aware of Carson's voice prattling on about Sheppard's condition, how he hasn't been getting any better. John snorted slightly in a half-assed attempt at a laugh at that statement of the rather obvious. He tried to drift away from them. Better to be out cold than trying to kill anyone.

A voice cut through the haze around his brain and drew him away from unconsciousness. His eyes focused, and he saw that it was the strange woman speaking; but it was though he was hearing her both with his ears and in his brain.

"Hello, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard," she said with a sad smile. "My name is Breeda, and it is I who am responsible for your current situation." She moved to stand by the side of his bed next to his head. Carson had fallen silent, and the others were simply watching, wondering how this woman was going to help John. Ronon had his hand on the grip of his weapon.

"I am sorry that you have suffered." As she spoke, Breeda placed her hand on John's forehead. It felt cold; there was something metallic palmed there. Sheppard felt his heart flutter in his chest. Who was this woman, what the hell was she doing? How was she responsible for what had happened, and if it was her doing, why was she allowed to come in here to see him? To apologize? Why the hell had she been allowed on Atlantis, and why the _hell_ had he not been informed of anything? "I will do what is in my power to correct my mistake." He felt an odd itching in his brain. He never knew his brain could itch. It was gone in a moment, but the woman kept talking. He found himself hearing her more with his ears and less in his brain now. The rest of his friends around him were coming back into focus as well.

"You triggered the defense system, so I assumed you were all Ancients; though I must admit, your behavior did not seem to fit with theirs," she said, now addressing the whole group instead of just Sheppard. She began to unfasten the restraint at John's wrist. "Dr. Beckett, you may want to hold off on any further sedation for John."

"Yea, I'd appreciate that," John added groggily from the bed. He looked up at Breeda. "Who are you, what the hell did you just do?"

"My name is Breeda, and I ended the cycle of hatred you were trapped in."

"Oh," he said, still not quite sure what was going on, and the befuddled expression on his face told his friends as much. "Thanks," he added. Because he could feel it. He was free. Quick as that. Damn, that was a switch from the norm. Of course, he was still drowsy as hell, but he was free. His body wasn't battling him any more. There was no struggle, no having to use every bit of will power to just not try and hurt the people he cared for most. He turned and looked at his friends. "Hey, would you guys mind taking down those screens. Rodney's gonna break his good leg if he keeps trying to sneak a peek." A muffled squawk from the other side of the curtain confirmed the presence of the nosy Canadian. A ripple of relieved laughter washed over them.

Carson was quiet, still trying to figure out exactly what had just happened. Sheppard was already looking better. Though still tired and drugged, his body was now relaxed -- _truly_ relaxed, not some drug-induced paralytic reaction -- for the fist time since he had come back from the planet. He grabbed the nearest blood pressure cuff and started checking John's vitals. Everything was within normal range. He stared, unbelieving at the woman.

"What did ye do?" he asked. She walked around the bed to free Sheppard's other wrist, then held open her hand and showed Beckett the small scanner-type device that she had used on Radek earlier.

"It was my sister's. It can show me what is wrong with someone, and it allows me to fix it, to an extent," she explained. "Though in this case, I already knew what the problem was, so it was a bit quicker." By this time, Ronon had managed to move the privacy screens aside, and it was revealed that not only Rodney was being nosy. Radek had moved to the nearest bed and was sitting up attentively. Teyla was hovering near Rodney, more likely to make sure he _didn't_ break his good leg than out of any desire to eavesdrop.

"Are you done playing peeping-tom?" Sheppard asked Rodney. McKay only harumphed, his smart-ass comment cut off by a sharp glance from Weir.

Elizabeth watched the change come over John, and she found herself breathing another sigh of relief. It was good to hear him and McKay bicker again. It made things feel normal. Things were not normal, however, and now she found herself wanting answers. She turned to Breeda and narrowed her eyes just slightly.

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End Notes: Next chapter SHOULD be the last one (then again, this story has taken on a life of it's own a few times already, so who knows...). I have no idea how long it'll take me to finish it up, cuz I want to make sure I get answers in for all the open questions. So, if you HAVE any questions, ASK them! Please? Ok, thanks!


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Ok, not many people reviewed the last chapter, but I'll hope that you haven't all gotten bored with my inane ramblings. Towards that end, I give you: The end! Forgive any typos or inconsistencies; I've gone over this chapter a dozen times, and with no beta, so if I've missed anything, it's most likely due to my brain having filled in the blanks when my eyes weren't looking!

Chapter 10

"Thank you for your help, we truly appreciate it," Weir said. Breeda remained quiet, looking at Sheppard, her expression unreadable. As the silence stretched out, Weir asked the first of so many question that had been nagging at her since they discovered the nature of the device that had started all of this. "Please don't take offense, but I am curious; why were you hiding from the Ancients? I understand that you did not wish to be drawn into a war, but why such a specific defense mechanism?" Everyone fell silent, all waiting to finally understand the hows and the whys. The silver-haired woman was silent a moment more. When she finally looked up, Elizabeth was struck by how much the lines on her face now seemed to stand out, and how tired her graying eyes were.

"We didn't so much hide as live in seclusion," Breeda said slowly, turning to face the other woman. "As for the defense screen, it would trigger against either Ancient or Wraith trespassers. The Wraith will feed upon any being with a life force large enough for their appetites, and we do not relish the idea of being attacked by the Wraith any more than being drawn into the war."

"You are essentially comparing the Ancients with the Wraith!" Elizabeth proclaimed in astonishment. "That hardly seems fair. They only asked for your help because they were being overwhelmed, they were fighting a losing war, while the Wraith--."

"The Wraith only feed on other beings because it is what they must do to survive," Breeda said, cutting Weir off. "Your people may not be the Ancients, but you are very much like them. In that, I must admit some disappointment."

Breeda drew a deep breath before continuing. "The device triggers certain, specific pathways in the brain, but only pathways that have been triggered before. Pathways of aggression, violence. If a person who had never delighted in killing or lashed out in rage tried to enter, he would be able to pass by the device unhindered. If he had taken the life of another in anger, then that pathway would be reactivated in his mind."

"Hey!" Sheppard exclaimed, sitting up more in his bed. Carson put a hand on John's shoulder, half to calm, half to keep him from jumping up. "Sometimes we have to kill in self defense!" Sheppard said, sounding particularly defensive himself at the moment. He was a soldier, he did what was necessary. He took offense at the implication that he was some kind of mindless killing machine.

"Of course!" Breeda agreed, her eyes burning brightly. A wave of energy filled the room, causing the hair on arms and at the back of necks to come to attention. "Make no mistake, I am no pacifist. I will fight to the death to defend myself, my family, my friends, my people, if I must. But I will not then come to seek out the help of another, claiming that my enemy is _evil_ based on the fact that they fight with me. Certainly not based on what they _must_ do to survive. That is why my sisters and I devised the defense screen; not out of aggression or ill-will towards the Ancients as a people. As a statement, no matter how small, against their hypocritical attitude. I am sorry that you were affected by the device, that was not our intent; but I will not apologize for my contribution or the creation of the screen in the first place." She closed her eyes for a moment, and when they opened again, they were calmer. Now it was the eyes glaring back at her that were full of fiery indignation. She understood their anger, and she wanted to explain better.

"There are all manner of parasites in the universe," she said. "We may perceive them as distasteful, dangerous, and destructive; but they are not _evil_ simply by nature." Breeda's eyes locked with Weir's, and understanding began to dawn on Elizabeth. "The Wraith, as sentient beings, may - as individuals - be evil through their choices and actions, but not simply because of what they _must_ do to survive. Humanity posses the same ability. As did the Ancients."

"I do see your point," Elizabeth said. "It is made just by looking at the Goa'uld and the Tok'ra--"

"And Ellia," Carson added sadly.

"But to make such a device, just on the principle--" Elizabeth was again cut off by Breeda.

"Hypocrisy is something we take very seriously. And when you live as long as we do, driven by the need to guard and guide a given group of people as though they were your children, one's principles become of the utmost importance. In a way, they are our reason for existing." Elizabeth paused, tipped her head, then decided to leave that topic for the moment. She would try and get back to it, but for the moment, she was starting to feel as though they were going in circles. She moved on to the next big question.

"Why did you help us?"

"You are from Earth," Breeda replied as though it explained everything, a sad smile playing across her face.

"Yes, we are. But how do you know that, and what difference does it make?" Weir countered.

"It makes all the difference in the world to a tired old woman to see her children all grown up and roaming about the stars." She was met by confused stares all around.

"What the devil are ye on about?" Carson asked, growing as frustrated as the others with her riddles and non-answers.

"When I said that some of my people once lived on Earth, I neglected to mention that my sisters and I were among them," Breeda answered. The simultaneous raising of eyebrows, cocking of heads, and dropping of jaws appeared almost choreographed, and was quite comical.

"Hang on, hang on," McKay blurted. "You were on Earth--"

"Well before the dawn of human civilization; but it was not our time to be there. I don't know if I can adequately explain, but I will try. Earth was not where we were... born, I guess you could call it; but it was to be Home for my sisters and I. However, the timing was off, we were early, not truly meant to be there for many thousands of years yet. So we left, came to this galaxy to wait, far away from the turmoil and territorial battling that was going on... and we stumbled into a war zone." She closed her eyes, lost in memories.

"That's not possible, nothing, no one can live that long!" Rodney argued. Breeda ignored his comment and continued.

"We built our defense screen, our bunker, and we kept to ourselves as best we could. Over the years, some came, but not many. Believe it or not, we did not relish sitting by and doing nothing; but it was not our battle to fight. After the war ended, we waited until we felt the pull of Home calling us, letting us know it was our time. It is a very strange thing, that my people have; a connection created with us, ingrained in us, that binds us to a particular group of people. My sisters returned home, to Earth, to the people who were to be our charges and look to us for guidance, protection. Though it grieved me, I stayed behind."

"Why couldn't you go with them?" Zelenka asked.

"I wasn't sure myself, until I met you, Radek. Then I knew why I had remained." Zelenka felt everyone's eyes turn towards him, and he flushed red and suddenly became fascinated by the bandage on his leg. "I am still a protector of my people; and though technically speaking, not many among you are from the specific lands my sisters and I are guardians of, their blood does run through your veins." She looked at Sheppard and Beckett with a smile.

"However, even being away from my sisters in body, I am always a part of them, as they are a part of me; one spirit. In that way, I am on Earth, with my sisters, seeing and knowing all that they see and know, and we are all together watching over those who are ours to protect. I have heard their voices, their songs and their laughter through the ears of my sisters; but it had been my greatest sadness that I had never been face to face with them. As of today, that has at last changed. Am I correct in guessing that your venture to the stars is not common knowledge back Home?" She was met by mute, but thoughtful nods. Breeda then nodded herself.

"Humanity, always so damn secretive; but it makes sense to me now. I remained so that I could see how far you all have come, so that I can finally return to my sisters and share the news with them." McKay's eyebrows made an admirable attempt to reach his hairline. This had all gone from outlandish to downright unbelievable in his mind. There was nothing obviously special about this woman except her ability to use alien technology; and that was nothing special to the crew of Atlantis anymore. Though, he did have to admit, when she got pissed off earlier, it had made him a bit more nervous than even he believed was justified. Still...

"Yea, sure, okay," McKay said, circling his index finger by his temple. Zelenka kicked at him with his good leg.

"That does sound a little... odd," Elizabeth said, hiding her smile as Rodney and Radek waged a now-silent war behind Breeda.

"I'm certain it does. But now that I know you are here, we shall be able to see you. We may see much further and deeper than is Humanly possible, but even we are not omniscient. We do have a connection to all our charges, a connection that cannot be severed, but can be stretched so tightly that it would be impossible for us to understand any information from it. We would never have been able to reach you out here, because we would not have been able to find you, understand where you were, even through the link." Breeda looked at the faces around her, hoping that at least one of them would understand what she was trying to express.

"In my wildest dreams, I never would have thought to see you here, so early in your lives. As I said before, our principles are much of our reason for existing. To protect all of our people, to teach them and be near them. If I had not been here, you all would have been beyond our reach; but now the bond has been made." She smiled again at Sheppard and Carson, trusting them to make the connection.

"What, so you've tagged us with a homing beacon now?" Sheppard asked incredulously.

"That is one way of describing it," Breeda said, nodding thoughtfully, joyful inside that they at least understood part of it. "I am sorry about the way that things unfolded, but all things have their reasons."

"Turn, turn, turn," Sheppard mumbled under his breath. When he realized that he'd drawn Breeda's full attention, he continued. "Don't think I'm not grateful for your help, I am. And I understand that what happened was a mistake, but your device nearly killed me, not to _mention_ what happened to McKay and Zelenka; all on a principle." His eyes were hard. Yes, the woman had corrected her mistake, but that didn't erase everything that had happened.

"You are correct," she said, her voice steady, but guilt in her eyes. THe joyful flutter inside had dulled as he reminded her of her own failure to think, to grow, to be aware of the world around her. "There are times it takes great hardship to bring about change; for better or for worse. Had events run their course differently, I may have remained ignorant of who you all were. I know that you may not appreciate the importance of that, especially as compared to what you had to endure," she said, facing Sheppard, McKay, and Zelenka in turn. A strange sensation washed over the occupants of the infirmary; a bittersweet warmth. Hot chocolate, coffee, warm blankets on a bitterly cold night.

"I can only hope that all involved have taken something positive away from this experience," Breeda sighed. Carson snorted, having been more frustrated by the events of the past day than he had been in a long time. He hated being useless; in his mind, it was the one thing a doctor should never be.

Breeda stepped over to the physician and grabbed him by the shoulders gently. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear. The others strained to hear, but could make out nothing more than if they were listening to a breeze outside a window. When she finally stepped back, Carson's jaw hung slack, his eyes were wide, and his face just a shade paler than usual.

"Carson?" Weir asked, and Beckett shook himself back to reality. Breeda had already turned her attention to the Colonel.

"Be proud, John Sheppard," she said. "You are a great warrior, and a source of pride for those who came before. I trust that recent events will not cause you to doubt yourself."

"Nope, I can't say that I think they will," Sheppard said lightly. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was truth enough.

"Now," Breeda said, turning to Weir, "If you would be so kind as to let me return to the planet from which we came?"

"I thought you were going to go back to Earth," McKay snapped.

"And I'd like to understand things a bit better before you leave us," Weir said.

"Carson understands well enough for all of you," Breeda said, turning to leave the infirmary. "I will be going back to Earth, but not by any method you would be able to use, directly or indirectly, Dr. McKay." Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, but felt the weight of Beckett's hand on her arm.

"Just... just let her go, ok?" he said. His eyes were still wide.

"Are you ok? What did she say to you?" Weir asked him, suddenly concerned that the woman had done something to her CMO.

"I'm fine. She just... told me her sisters names," Carson sounded as though he could hardly believe the words he was saying. "Just let her go. We don't want to be dealing with her cousins." Weir gave him a puzzled look, but Carson wanted to process all of the information before he made a complete fool out of himself.

Within only a few minutes, Ronon and Teyla had escorted Breeda back to the planet where they had met her. They returned within the hour, along with the two sergeants.

"So, what happened?" Weir asked as Ronon and Teyla made their way out of the gateroom.

"Breeda used that scanner thing of hers to deactivate the defense screen, permanently," Ronon told her.

"Are you sure?" Weir asked. As much as she would have loved to understand the technology, it was too great a risk to her people.

"The device broke in half," Teyla told Weir. Elizabeth didn't look very convinced, but she noticed the feral grin on Ronon's face.

"I broke it into a few more pieces after that," he said, resting his hand on the grip of his sidearm.

"And what about the rest of the technology?" Ronon shrugged.

"She said that it would not be harmful to our people, and we were welcome to try and unlock it's secrets," Teyla said. "It did not sound as though she believed we would be able to."

"Well, maybe we can surprise her and her people a bit more," Weir said, a glint in her eye speaking of the challenge she did not plan on backing down from. "Full debriefing in two hours." Teyla and Ronon nodded, then turned and continued down the hall.

Two hours later, the briefing room was starting to feel just a little bit crowded. This may have been due to the sudden excess of adaptive medical equipment around. McKay's crutches were leaning against the table, sticking halfway onto the floor and threatening to trip anyone not careful to watch where they were walking. Radek had been unable to be contained to the infirmary -- at least for the duration of the debriefing -- much to Carson's chagrin. The Scotsman had grumbled about Zelenka spending too much time with McKay. However, Radek was forced to use a wheelchair, since his shoulder wound prevented him from using crutches properly. Rodney was taking full advantage of having Radek back alive and unwell, making as many snarky comments as he could. At least, until Radek 'accidentally' wheeled over McKay's foot.

John was sitting quietly in the corner, willing to let the two scientists bear the brunt of Carson's attentions. He was happy that Beckett had conceded to release him from the infirmary, on the promise of check-ins every few hours, or randomly as Carson decreed. He listened quietly as the story of what had happened over the past day was told and retold, as various parties threw their perspectives into the mess. After Ronon and Teyla finished recounting their departure from Breeda, all eyes turned to Carson Beckett. The doctor pretended not to notice for a minute, before finally sputtering at them all.

"What?" he stammered.

"Come on, Carson," Sheppard said, willing to risk the ire of the doctor to finally get the last of the answers. "Spill it, what did she say to you?" Beckett was quiet for a long minute; but when the eyes did not waver from him, he finally sighed and let the words come.

"My gran was a real spitfire, to her dyin day. She respected lots of the old traditions. She told me all about the Celtic gods an goddesses." He stopped and looked around, embarrassed by the topic. "It didn't register until Breeda told me her sisters names. She called them Bride and Brigid." Weir looked confused.

"Ok...?"

"Bride, Breeda, Brigid, Brigit, they're all names for the same goddess." A snort came from the general direction of Rodney. Carson glared at the Canadian, but continued. "The Goa'uld were the Egyptian gods and goddesses. I dinna know if they took the existing mythology and fit themselves to it, or if the mythology was based around them; but I think Breeda's people, at least some of them, may have done the same thing for the Celts."

"You're not serious," McKay's skeptical comment was a statement, not a question.

"I'm quite serious," Carson said, flushing. "Look, I know how ridiculous it sounds, but any more so than the idea of the Egyptian gods being snakelike aliens that took over the bodies of humans?"

"Touché," McKay conceded.

"So is that why Breeda kept staring at you?" Weir asked. "Because of your heritage?"

"I would presume so."

"Me too, I guess," Sheppard said. When everyone turned to stare at him, he knit his brows. "What? I'm half Irish!"

"So what did you mean when you said we wouldn't want to deal with her cousins?" Weir asked Beckett.

"The gods of the Celts were a fierce bunch, not someone ye'd like to make an enemy of," Beckett said, hardly believing what he was discussing. "Brigid is the kindly one of the lot; and if she's got devices like that defense screen tucked away..." he trailed off, not really sure how to finish that thought; but thankfully the others seemed to get the idea.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that they're on our side..." Weir said. She was suffering from the same 'I can't quite believe what I'm saying' condition as Beckett. The room grew quiet again as they all processed the 'I can't quite believe it' information. Finally, John broke the silence.

"So, Carson, am I healthy yet?" he asked. The medical doctor sighed.

"As best I can tell. Yer blood chemistry is back to normal, EEG's are fine; but ye should still take it easy--"

"Yea, I know that part of the drill. I wasn't planning on chasing after Breeda or leaping through the Stargate... right this minute... I just think I REALLY need a drink."

"I second that," Zelenka muttered.

"Aye, well..." The team could see the wheels turning in Carson's mind, debating the safety versus the virtues of stress relief and coping with the unbelievable. "I'd have to agree with you."

"Are we all off duty yet?" McKay asked, turning to Weir.

"I think that it's been a long enough day," Elizabeth said with a tired smile.

"Then I say we all reconvene in the lounge in fifteen minutes with lots and _lots_ of alcohol," Sheppard said. Elizabeth nodded.

"Dismissed."

XxXxXxX

"_Must it take a life for hateful eyes _

_To glisten once again?_

'_Cause we find ourselves in the same old mess,_

_Singin' drunken lullabies._"

-- Flogging Molly, _Drunken Lullabies_

(This song is also where the title came from!)

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

XXX

End Notes: Ok, I realized as I was writing the last 2 chapters that I had kinda written myself into a corner with Breeda's history, in terms of what I knew she was and how I wanted it to play out, and the canon timeline. I keep forgetting how LONG 10,000 years is, cuz, well, I'm daft at times. I hope I covered my arse well enough and at least made it sound plausible! I hope I've wrapped up all the loose ends that needed wrapping. If not, thwap me over the head.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed my trip down insanity lane. If so, please please please leave me a review, and encourage my troublemaker of a muse to spawn more plot bunnies. If you hated it, please tell me why. I'm not ashamed to beg, spammit!


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